A 23-year-old man was stabbed to death in Kottayam&rsquo;s Manikunnu area following a violent clash reportedly triggered by a financial dispute over an MDMA transaction. The victim, identified as Adarsh from Thottakkad, Puthuppally, died at Kottayam Medical College Hospital after sustaining multiple stab wounds.
Police have detained former Kottayam Municipality Congress councillor V.K. Anilkumar and his son Abhijith, who are accused of being directly involved in the incident. The confrontation unfolded around 4 a.m. outside Anilkumar&rsquo;s residence, where Adarsh and his friends had arrived to settle a monetary dispute linked to the supply of MDMA.
According to investigators, Abhijith allegedly procured the synthetic drug from Adarsh and pledged a vehicle as part of the deal, but later refused to pay the agreed amount. The disagreement escalated rapidly, leading to a physical altercation during which Abhijith reportedly used a knife to stab Adarsh multiple times.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, Adarsh succumbed to his injuries. Police said both Anilkumar and Abhijith attempted to escape but were arrested shortly after, with CCTV footage helping officers track their movements. Investigators revealed that both the victim and the accused have previous drug-related cases registered against them.
The police are now examining the financial trail and the suspected MDMA supply chain connected to the case. The body has been preserved for post-mortem, and further interrogation is underway. Authorities indicated that additional charges, including those under the NDPS Act, may be added as the probe progresses.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

Former Congress councilor and his son held after 23-year-old youth stabbed to death

Kerala Youth Stabbed in Drug Deal Dispute

Former Congress councilor and his son held after 23-year-old youth stabbed to death

November 24, 2025 | 19:23 IST