Staff Reporter
KOLLAM: An excise guard was hacked by a bootlegger at Koikkal in East Kallada on Saturday morning. In the attack, the left hand of the excise guard Unnikrishna Pillai, 40, got severed .
Mr. Pillai was part of an excise team attached to the Sasthamcotta Range engaged in a special operation launched against illicit liquor in view of the coming Onam festival.
Early on Saturday morning, the team got a tip-off that Kundara-based bootleggers would transport spirit from Koikkal in an autorickshaw. The team intercepted the auto.
There were three persons in it and one of them whipped out a sword and hacked Mr. Pillai on the left hand as he moved for searching.
As local people rushed to the scene, the trio threatened them with swords and escaped.
A profusely bleeding Mr. Pillai was immediately taken to a hospital at Sasthamcotta. The culprit was identified as Joy alias Kennedy of Padappakara. A complaint was lodged with the East Kallada police.
The police said Joy had been arrested several times in the past on charges of hooch sale. Later in the day, an excise team arrested Biju, 40, an accomplice of Joy, and seized 100 litres of spirit from him.
