THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Some pivotal information has surfaced in the case of hacking a youth by a goonda team at Pothencode. Police said the assailants conducted a trial run before the murder. They hurled a bomb at Mangattu Bridge in Mangalapuram.

The police have taken into custody Renjith, the driver of the auto in which the assailants travelled. He was nabbed from Vanchiyoor. The investigating team have taken into custody three more who helped the murderers. With this, four have been nabbed in the case.

A 12-member team in bikes and autos murdered Sudheesh (32), son of Sathyan and Leela, of Lakshamveedu Colony in Chembakamangalam, Mangalapuram. Sudheesh was an accused in many cases including murder attempt. He was murdered while he was hiding in a murder attempt case.

The assailants arrived at 2.45 pm yesterday afternoon. The gang cornered the victim at a palm field near Kalloor. Fearing for his life, he ran to his relative residence nearby and the assailants who followed him there hacked him using sharp weapons. They also attacked the baby present in the house.

The assailants chopped off the victim’s leg and took the severed foot and celebrated with it at Kalloor Veterinary Hospital Junction. They later threw it in the middle of the road around half a kilometre away from the crime scene. The police have collected the CCTV footages of the celebrations.

Indications are that the motive for the murder was a revenge for killing a goonda leader's friend. Sudheesh revealed the names of notorious goonda Ottakam Rajesh and Azhoor Unni, who hacked him, to the police before losing consciousness.