Friend arrested for murdering man during argument in Munambam

Kochi: Munambam police investigating the death of a 44-year-old man, who was found dead near the car shed of his house on Saturday morning, confirmed it to be a case of murder. They also arrested his long-time friend Saneesh, 32, for the murder.Sminu Antony of Munambam was found dead with head and face injuries. According to the police, the death occurred sometime during Friday night when Sminu was alone at his home. Police also found bloodstains on the wall, leading to the investigation into the murder angle. Sminu's gold chain was found missing along with his mobile phone.Police sources said that the duo grew apart over time due to personal reasons. Saneesh met him on the day of the crime and attacked him during an argument, said the police. They suspect that the victim was attacked with a hand axe. Police believe robbery was not the sole motive for the attack and that there was some personal enmity involved. The accused Saneesh was reportedly going through some financial difficulties, sources said.Police said that the duo's friendship waned so much that Sminu even blocked Saneesh's number. However, Saneesh managed to contact him and told him that he wanted to meet him. They spoke for nearly an hour, and the accused attacked him in a fit of rage. Police said that the murder was pre-planned and they were trying to recover the murder weapon.Crackdown on fake phones: Ernakulam central police, which conducted raids at Broadway and Menaka as part of a crackdown against fake products of popular brands, began an investigation into the source of the products.Police raided mobile phone shops and seized fake products misusing the labels of prominent brands, including Apple. Police said that the total seized materials have a combined worth of over Rs 4 crore.