By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Kochi: A Masjid official was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Ernakulam district on Thursday. Basheer Haji (54), secretary of Vattekkunnam juma masjid at Kalamasseri in Ernakulam, was stabbed to death by unidentified people in his shop yesterday morning. The police have begun investigation.
The incident took place at about 8.30 am when Basheer Haji had just reached his shop ‘New Mobile Planet’. The attacker, who was waiting with another man on the other side of the road, stabbed him in the neck from behind and pulled down the shutters of the shop before leaving on a bike. Two girls on their way to college saw this and informed the people nearby. When people opened the shutters, Basheeer Haji was in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the Ernakulam Medical Centre hospital but could not be saved. The attackers also took Basheer Haji’s bag that contained new expensive mobile phones, sim cards and money worth Rs 5000.
The police led by Jayaraj, CI of Kalamasseri, came to the place. The body was subjected to post mortem at the Alappuzha Medical College and buried in the Vattekunnam juma masjid graveyard at seven in the evening, the same day.
Basheer Haji is survived by wife and three children.
Basheer Haji has been the secretary of the masjid for about 35 years. People say he did not have enmity with anyone. Your browser may not support display of this image.
Traders downed their shutters in protest against the brutal attack. A meeting was also organized in memory of the deceased by the Idappalli Toll unit of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, traders’ union, in the evening.