Wayanad (Vythiri): The tragic death of auto-rickshaw driver Abdul Navas (44) in an accident involving a jeep and an auto-rickshaw in Chundel, Vythiri Panchayat, has been deemed a premeditated murder. 

The police have taken Sumil Shad, the jeep driver, and his brother into custody. Investigations suggest that a personal vendetta between Shad and Navas was the motive behind the murder.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. on Monday. Navas, who was travelling towards Chundel Estate, was involved in a collision with a Thar jeep that was coming from the opposite direction. Locals had previously expressed suspicions about the accident, stating that it happened on a relatively low-traffic, straight road with no apparent danger of such a fatal crash. Navas's relatives filed a complaint with the police, raising doubts over the incident. Following an investigation, the police concluded that it was not an accident but a planned murder.

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CCTV footage revealed that Shad had been waiting for Navas on the roadside for about an hour before the crash. After allegedly receiving a phone call informing him that Navas was on his way, Shad drove the jeep towards him and purposely collided with the auto-rickshaw. Shad also sustained injuries in the crash.

Navas's brother-in-law, K.P. Rashid, filed a complaint with the Vythiri police, alleging that the incident was a premeditated murder fueled by a personal grudge between Navas and Shad. 

Later that evening, a group of people arrived on motorcycles and hurled stones at the windows of Shad’s father's restaurant.