Munnar: The first papan was stabbed to death by the second papan at the Korandikad elephant riding center. Vimal (31), a native of Thrissur, died. Munnar police arrested the second Papan Manikanta (29) who stabbed Vimal. The incident took place at 7.30 am on Friday. The stabbing took place at an elephant riding center on the Korandikad side of the Munnar-Mattupetti road. Both were the papans of an elephant named Julie.
A dispute over the matter of looking after the elephant in the morning and changing it led to the stabbing. On Friday morning, they had a verbal argument at the place where the elephant was being bathed and Manikandan stabbed Vimal in the neck with a knife he was carrying. Vimal, who was stabbed, was taken to Kannandevan General Hospital, Munnar, but his life could not be saved.
After the stabbing, the accused Manikandan, who ran into the office, was handed over to the Munnar police by the locals. Deceased Vimal is unmarried. The body was sent to Idukki Medical College for post-mortem after an inquest was conducted. The accused was produced before the Devikulam court and remanded.