Kottayam: Shan Babu was murdered for 'liking' a social media visual of a gangster getting beaten, prime accused KT Jomon told the police.

In the wee hours on Monday, a local goon, Jomon had dropped the body of 19-year-old Shan in front of the East Police Station here. Shan's mother had filed a complaint hours before stating her son had been abducted.

The police on Tuesday said that all five accused in the 'premeditated murder' have been arrested. The leader of Jomon's gang, Lutheesh, is among those in custody. The crime was committed in a plot adjacent to Jomon's residence at Manganam here.

Jomon told the police that Shan was murdered in retaliation for an attack on Lutheesh by the teenager's friends at Thrissur last October.

The accused told the police that they wanted to take revenge on Shan because he had 'liked' the pictures of the incident that were shared on social media.

According to police reports, the accused had beaten Shan in the same manner in which Lutheesh was beaten. The dress of the deceased was found on the crime scene.

Once the death was confirmed, the other accused dropped Jomon near the Police Club and fled while he carried the body to the police station.

Meanwhile, the police have claimed that Shan was arrested for peddling 30 kg ganja and had been released in August.