By Express News Service

MALAPPURAM: Unidentified assailants brutally hacked a Muslim convert to death on Saturday and fled the scene without anyone witnessing the attack at Farook Nagar in Kodinhi here.

The mutilated body of Anil Kumar, 30, of Kodinhi, who became Faisal after embracing Islam about six months ago,was found in a pool of blood on the street at 5 am by the local residents.

Faisal

He had reportedly left home in the wee hours of Saturday to pick up the parents of his wife, who were to arrive at Tirur railway station from Thiruvananthapuram, before villagers found his body just in front of a grocery shop.

Employed in the West Asia, Faisal had returned home only four months ago and was about to fly back to the Gulf on Sunday. Neighbours said he had feared for his life after receiving death threats from his family members.

Faisal had his scalp almost slit open possibly by some sharp-edged weapons and his internal organs gouged out by the assailants. The autorickshaw he had used for his daily commute and a pair of slippers were found at scene.

The police investigating the incident said the murder was carried out by more than one person, and they chose dawn as the time of the attack so they could easily escape.

They police said the evidence collected from footage of a CCTV installed at a shop nearby showed the attackers came on two bikes and a car. “The camera captured two motorcycles and a car, which could be a vital lead,” the police said.

Kannur range IG Dinenthra Kashyap, Malappuram police chief Debesh Kumar Behera, a forensic team from Thrissur, dog squad, and a team of fingerprints experts examined the site.

Faisal’s wife Priya and his three children have converted to Islam recently. Priya has been attending a course at Maunathul Islam Sabha, Ponnani, after accepting Islam. His children have been attending Islamic Education Centre National School at Kodinhi.It is alleged that one of his brothers-in-law had strongly objected to the conversion.

Meanwhile, the local residents took out a march in protest against the killing of Faisal who never had any party allegiance. Many shops remained closed to pay tribute to the deceased. The body has been handed over to relatives after the postmortem examination.