Murders surge as drug mafia grips Thamarassery

On Tuesday, Yasir, reportedly addicted to alcohol and drugs, hacked his wife Shibila to death in front of their three-year-old daughter

- LESLY JOSEPH @Kozhikode

THE people of Thamarassery, still reeling from the murder of Subaida, who was hacked to death by her drug-addict son Ashiq at Adivaram, have now witnessed yet another brutal crime. On Tuesday evening, 26-year-old Yasir, reportedly addicted to alcohol and drugs, hacked his 23-year-old wife, Shibila, to death in front of their three-year-old daughter at Kakkad, following a family dispute. The incident has left the local residents and families in shock.

Adding to the concern, Yasir and Ashiq were friends, raising suspicions of their ties to the drug mafia. A photo of them together has surfaced on social media. "It's as if a curse has fallen on Thamarassery, with drug-related violence and murders plunging our locality into grief," says Majeed, an Engapuzha resident and paternal uncle of Shibila. The police and excise officials agree that Thamarassery has become a hotspot for NDPS cases and stress that stronger public participation is needed to curb the menace.