Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 23 (IANS): The death of the friend of Arjun Ayanki, an accused in the Gold smuggling case, in a road accident has raised eyebrows.

Rameez was killed in the accident on Thursday at Azhikode, near Kannur, said the police.

Incidentally, Rameez was served a notice by the Customs asking him to appear before them. The officials earlier this month had conducted a search at his house near Kannur following the arrest of his friend Arjun Ayanki by the Customs in a gold smuggling case.

Rameez, according to the police, was returning after dropping his mother on his two-wheeler when a car hit his vehicle and was seriously injured.

He was rushed to a hospital where he passed away

The police have started their probe, and so far have not found an eyewitness in the accident.

Meanwhile, the Customs has got the picture of the car which collided with the two-wheeler and it shows that the driver's door of the car had been badly damaged.

The two-wheeler driven by Rameez is said to be registered in the name of Ayanki.

Ayanki was a CPI-M supporter and party's 'Red Volunteer' captain in Kannur, and with his huge following in social media, was a 'Facebook warrior', attacking political opponents on social media.

However, the party leadership, both at Kannur and the state level, have washed their hands off him after the gold smuggling incidents came to light.

The gold smuggling case surfaced last month after an accident at Ramanattukara in Kozhikode. Five people had lost their lives during a chase between two gold smuggling gangs.