Congress worker hacked to death

Attack carried out by 14-member gang alleged to be SDPI activists

Relatives and Congress workers throng at Elite Hospital, Koorkkanchery, near Thrissur, to receive Puthuveetil Noushad’s body on Wednesday.

A Congress activist, who was hacked by a gang at Punna, near Chavakkad, succumbed to injuries at a private hospital here on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Puthuveetil Noushad, 44, a Congress booth president.

An unidentified gang of 14 people, who came in seven motor bikes with their faces covered, hacked Mr. Noushad who was chatting with three of his friends at Punna Centre on Tuesday evening. The three friends who tried to protect Noushad also suffered injuries.

Mr. Noushad, who was critically injured died at the hospital on Wednesday. Others are undergoing treatment. The Congress alleged that it was a pre-planned murder and the SDPI was behind the attack. The police identified four SDPI workers in the gang. But they are absconding.

KPCC demand

KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, and T.N. Prathapan, MP, have demanded a detailed investigation into the attack.

“The government should take action to control the violence unleashed by the SDPI in the State,” said K. Sudhakaran MP.

Meanwhile, a special team has been formed to investigate the murder. Mr. Noushad’s body was handed over to his relatives after postmortem.