Kochi bar hammer attack: 'Toofan Warrior' Shibu arrested

KOCHI: A man has been arrested for attempting to murder a youth by striking him on the head with a hammer at a bar in Mattancherry. The police arrested Shibu, a resident of Mattancherry, for the attempted murder of a man named Shameer. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced.

The incident occurred at around 2:30 PM yesterday. An alteration broke out between Shameer and the accused, who had both come to the bar to drink, which subsequently escalated into a violent assault. Shibu grabbed Shameer by the neck and pushed him in front of the billing counter, before striking him on the face and head with a hammer he was carrying. Shihab, who was accompanying Shibu, also kicked and punched Shameer. Shameer, who sustained severe injuries, is currently undergoing treatment at the General Hospital.

Shibu is notably an individual who had participated in an anti-drug campaign organised by former KPCC President K. Sudhakaran, MP, to extend solidarity to 'Operation Toofan'. The arrest follows widespread allegations that local goons and individuals with criminal backgrounds had attended the anti-drug event.

Sudhakaran’s anti-drug program was held on June 18. Information subsequently emerged revealing that accused individuals in criminal cases and goons were among the participants. The names of several anti-social elements who attended the event—including a goon who assaulted an elderly woman, an accused in a firearms case, and an accused in a beauty parlour shooting case—had already been disclosed earlier.