Paravoor attack: Main accused held

The police have nabbed the main accused in the case in which a hotel owner was allegedly hacked by activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) last week at Vaniyakkad, near Paravoor.

The arrested person is Shihab, 24, of Vaniyakkad. Shihab and his brother Ayoob, along with with four others, had attacked Abdul Nazer.

According to the police, Shihab was arrested from a hide-out in Ayyanthole, Thrissur.

His friends had helped him move to the location. The state Intelligence and the Intelligence Bureau will interrogate him.

Crucial information on the other six gang members has been received, the police officials said.

Earlier, four suspected PFI activists were arrested in connection with the case.  Anas, 20, Tahir, 32, Manaf, 25, and Sahir, 45, all from Vaniyakkad, were involved in hatching the plot to assault Nazer.

Nazer was returning home after offering prayers at the Vaniyakkad Mosque early in the morning, when he was cornered by an armed gang.

The gang hacked him with swords and hit him with iron rods.

The attack had taken place owing  to the stand taken by the mosque committee against the rising number of armed gangs in the area.

Nazar was the head of the committe which condemned the activities of the armed gangs operating in the Paravoor area.