Nephew kills uncle in row over chicken curry in Kerala's Palakkad

PALAKKAD: A meal-time argument over chicken curry turned fatal in Koundanur, where a 45-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by his nephew, police said on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Senthil Kumar, a resident of Koundanur in Ozhakapathy under the Kozhinjampara police station limits. The accused, Prabhakaran, is on the run and is suspected to have crossed into Tamil Nadu. According to police, Kumar, who was unmarried, lived with his sister, whose son is the accused. Both had consumed liquor and were having food when a dispute broke out. The FIR stated that Kumar had prepared chicken curry at home but did not share it with Prabhakaran, triggering the altercation. Following the argument, Kumar was allegedly blocked on the road in front of the house and attacked with a white-coloured pipe on his head and other parts of the body. He collapsed after the assault and was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead. Police said the accused fled the scene on a motorcycle soon after the incident and is believed to have crossed into Tamil Nadu. A search is underway with the assistance of Tamil Nadu Police. Kozhinjampara police have registered a case of murder and are conducting further investigation. The body will be handed over to the family after postmortem examination, officials added.