A 65-year-old man was kicked to death by a scrap picker after an argument over spitting on the road here at Kazhakuttam, the police said on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Bhuvanachandran, a resident of Nettayakonam in Thiruvananthapuram. According to the police, the deceased, who was talking to a tender coconut seller, objected to spitting on the road by the accused and an argument broke out between them over the issue.
At the end of the argument, the accused kicked Bhvanachandran in the stomach and he collapsed on the road. Though he was taken to a nearby private hospital soon after the incident, he died on the way to the hospital. The deceased had recently undergone surgery in connection with a liver ailment. Soon after the incident, the scrap picker, who is said to be a physically challenged man, reportedly boarded a bus to Kollam after having lunch at a nearby hotel.
A case of murder had been registered and an investigation was underway to trace the accused, said the police.
