Kollam: A notorious gangster who had recently secured bail in a sensational murder case was hacked to death in a dramatic daylight attack on the national highway at Karunagappally in Kerala’s Kollam district on Saturday, in what police suspect is the latest chapter in a violent gang rivalry.
The victim, Aluva Atul, the prime accused in the murder of Gym Santhosh, was attacked while returning after reporting at the Karunagappally police station as part of his bail conditions.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near a petrol pump at Puthiyakavu.
According to police, a group travelling in a Haryana-registered Innova chased the vehicle in which Atul was travelling and rammed it from behind.
The impact forced the car into a trench dug up for ongoing national highway construction.
CCTV visuals that later surfaced show four men jumping out of the Innova, armed with machetes and other weapons.
The attackers dragged Atul out of the vehicle and hacked him repeatedly in the middle of the busy highway before fleeing the scene.
A man who was travelling with Atul, identified as Manu, also an accused in the Santhosh murder case, sustained injuries during the attack.
Atul was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries.
Police believe the killing was the culmination of a long-running feud between rival gangs in the Karunagappally–Ochira region.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the attackers were associates of Gym Santhosh and were allegedly seeking revenge for his murder.
Santhosh, a notorious but locally influential gangster often described as a “gentleman goon”, was brutally murdered inside his house on March 27, 2025.
A gang allegedly led by Atul had cut the electricity supply to the house, hurled explosives to create panic and hacked Santhosh to death in front of his mother.
Although police later filed a charge sheet in the case, Atul had recently managed to secure bail, reportedly angering Santhosh’s supporters.
Investigators suspect the attackers had tracked his movements and carefully planned the ambush, knowing he would be visiting the police station.
The dramatic killing, carried out in broad daylight under CCTV cameras and close to the police station, has triggered panic among residents.
Police have tightened security across Kollam district and launched a manhunt for the attackers.
Officials are examining CCTV footage and exploring possible links to organised criminal networks and the narcotics trade, which police believe may be fuelling gang rivalries in the region.
(IANS)
