A 40-year-old man from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, was abducted and brutally murdered by a four-member gang in Kaipamangalam, Thrissur, on Monday (Sep 23). The victim, Arun, and his friend Shasankan were attacked, allegedly over a financial dispute involving Rs 10 lakh. According to police, Arun had convinced Sadiq, an ice factory owner in Kannur, to invest in a fraudulent Rice Puller Nidhi scheme, resulting in Sadiq losing the money. Sadiq and his associates arranged to meet Arun near the Paliyekkara toll plaza, where they abducted him and Shasankan, taking them to an estate in Vattanathra. Arun was severely beaten to death, and his body was disposed of in an ambulance. The assailants claimed Arun had been injured in a road accident and fled the scene. Doctors confirmed Arun’s death, noting severe injuries. Police are investigating the murder, linked to Sadiq and his associates.