Death of auto driver in jeep-auto collision turns out to be murder, accused held

WAYANAD: It has been found that the death of an auto driver after a jeep and an auto collided at Vythiri's Chundel, is a planned murder. The police have taken Sumil Shad, who was driving the jeep, and his brother into custody. It is suspected that Sumil Shad had a personal enmity with the dead Abdul Nawas (44) of Chundel Kappamkunnu Kunnath Peediyekkal and this led to the murder.

The auto in which Nawas was travelling and heading towards Chundel Estate on the Ammara-Anoth Road, collided with the Thar jeep coming from the opposite direction at around 8:30 am on Monday. The locals had the other day alleged that there was no risk of an accident on the road with very little traffic and it was a deliberate accident. Nawas' paternal uncle K P Rasheed had filed a complaint with the police, asserting mystery in the accident. Subsequent investigations revealed that it was a planned murder.

CCTV footage showed that the main accused Sumil Shad had been waiting for Nawas for about an hour on the road with the jeep before the incident. Sumil Shad drove forward with the jeep after receiving a phone call. He struck the auto that came towards him. Sumil Shad was also injured in the incident.