Man tied up, thrown into canal and robbed near Aluva railway station

Kochi: A 28-year-old man was seriously injured after two unidentified persons allegedly attacked him, tied him up and threw him into a canal before robbing him near Aluva railway station in the early hours of Sunday.

The victim, Jofin Joju of Kodanad, was reportedly walking towards the railway station when the assailants confronted him around 3.30 a.m. According to the FIR, the men first struck him on the head with a stone after he tried to escape.

The attackers allegedly restrained Joju, tied his hands and legs with ropes and kicked him into a nearby canal. They then continued beating him while he lay on the ground, repeatedly striking the right side of his ribcage with a granite stone.

The assault left him with three fractured ribs, a fractured right wrist and injuries to his chin. The attackers allegedly threatened to kill him before taking Rs 1,000 from his bag and the chain he was wearing.

Joju later managed to contact his friends, who reached the spot and took him to a hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a private hospital.

Aluva police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the area and tracking people suspected of involvement in similar theft cases.

Police said several suspects had been identified and efforts were under way to trace and question them.