A 34-year-old man, identified as Sumesh Babu, was hacked to death by a three-member gang in front of devotees inside the Idakkattukavu Sree Dharma Sastha temple, near Thirumullavaram, in the city at about 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Gripped by panic, the devotees ran out of the temple. Sumesh was declared dead on arrival at the district hospital.
One of the suspects was chased and caught by local residents and handed over to the police. He was identified as Sreekuttan alias Chemban, 30. The other two involved in the killing were identified as Unnithan and Rahul. All the three are involved in various criminal cases, the police said.
The three travelling in a motor bike had gone to Sumesh’s house earlier. But when he was not there they went to the temple since he had taken the sound system contract there in connection with the ongoing Mandala festival rituals. A lot of devotees had arrived there to take part in the rituals.
Sumesh who tried to take cover in the sanctum sanctorum was pulled out from there and hacked. As per preliminary investigations by the police an illicit relationship with a woman was the cause of the murder. The police have registered a case.
