Paravoor police took the main accused and a suspected Popular Front activist into custody on Monday on charges of brutally attacking a hotel owner at Vaniyakkad near Paravoor last week. The arrested was identified as Shihab, 24.
He was the one who led the gang that attacked the victim Abdul Nazer. He was taken from his hide-out in Ayyanthol in Thrissur. He had been staying in a house there since attacking the hotel owner. It is learnt that police has also received crucial information about six other members of the gang. Abd-ul Salam, circle inspector of Paravoor police said these men will also be arrested soon.
Police had earlier arrested four suspected Popular Front activists in connection with the case. Anas, 20, Tahir, 32, Manaf, 25, and Sahir, 45, all from Vaniyakkad near Paravoor, were part of the gang that allegedly hatched a conspi-racy to attack the victim.
Abdul Nazer was returning home after offering prayers at the Vaniyakkad mo-sque early morning when he was stopped by a gang of armed men who pretended to ask him directions to a nearby place.