Two more persons allegedly involved in the September 4 murder of tipper lorry driver and native of Karamana Saji were nabbed by the police from a hideout at Aryankavu near Kollam district on Wednesday.
Thampanoor Circle Inspector Sheen Tharayil said Ranjith, alias Harikumar, 28, and Sabu, 35, were arrested from Aryankavu after a 2-km chase when the police team on their trail reached their hideout. The two were accomplices of gang leader Soju, a key accused in Saji’s murder that was the result of a gangland feud.
Saji was an accomplice of Choozhattukota Ambily, another gang leader and rival of Soju.
With Wednesday’s arrest, the number of persons arrested in the case has gone up to five. Ranjith is the second accused in the case, while Sabu is the third accused. The two are said to have lured Saji from a bar in Thirumala on the night of the murder and taken him to Soju’s hangout near the city, where after torturing him for about five hours in an attempt to get information on Ambily’s whereabouts, he was stabbed to death.
Ranjith and Sabu were wanted in a number of criminal cases registered in the Fort, Karamana, and Nemom police stations. The arrests were made by a team led by Fort Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Radhakrishnan and comprising Mr. Tharayil and sub-inspector K.V. Ramanan and others.
