KOLLAM: A 38-year-old man was hacked to death following a violent dispute that began at a local bar. The deceased has been identified as Sarath, a resident of Kadakkal and a former private bus driver who had recently returned from working abroad.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 PM on Saturday at Mele Panthalammukku. According to police sources, the murder was the culmination of a conflict that erupted earlier that evening. While Sarath was at a bar in Kadakkal, he became involved in a heated argument with another customer, identified as Rahul. Although bar staff intervened to separate the two, the conflict did not end there.
As Sarath left the premises to head toward a friend's house, he was followed by a gang. The assailants, reportedly from the Vayala-Kovoor area, intercepted him at Panthalammukku and launched a brutal attack with sharp weapons.
Despite sustaining multiple stab wounds and deep cuts, Sarath managed to run to a nearby house for help before collapsing. Local residents rushed him to the Kadakkal Taluk Hospital, from where he was later transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.
Sarath, a native of Vayala, had been living with his wife's family in Anjumukku since his return to India a month ago. Police have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.