Kattappana: Two labourers were stabbed to death by a fellow worker in a farm in Idukki district on Sunday night. The crime took place amid a drunken brawl over money.
The dead were identified as Jamsha Marandi, 28, and Shukh Lal Marandi, 43, residents of Lata in Godda district of Jharkhand.
The deceased are said to be relatives. They were employed in a farm at Valiyathovala.
Sanjay Baski, 30, a resident of Baltar, Godda district of Jharkhand, has been arrested by the police.
The accused was also staying with the murdered in the same building.
A woman who was staying with them has sustained a deep cut on the back of her head and she is currently under treatment.
She has bee identified as Basanthi, 45.
Kattapana DySP N C Rajamohan sustained knife injuries while nabbing the accused who was hiding in a thick cardamom plantation.
The incident took place on Sunday midnight at a farm owned by Patanapokal Geroge. The accused and his victims were staying in a building near George's house.
Police version
According to police, the clash took place when the workers who were under the influence of liquor, entered into a heated argument over money. It was Basanthi who informed the farm owner about the bloody clash.
The two workers were found dead in separate rooms of the building with stab injuries on their neck.
Sanjay was present on the spot when the farm owner arrived. However, by the time he informed the police, the accused fled and hid in the cardamom plantation. Later a search operation was carried out in the area by police and the accused was arrested from a plantation.
The case is being investigated by a team led by Kattapana DySP. Vandanmedu SHO V S Nawaz, sub- inspectors M Jayakrishnan, Biju Joseph, ASI P R Sunil, SPOs Abdul Salam, Harikumar and CPO Irshad are part of the team.