Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch bid to resolve the mystery behind the seven deaths reported from a wealthy family at Karamana in the Kerala capital in a span of 26 years is well on. Investigators conducted a thorough search of the ancestral house of the Koodathil family, Uma Mandiram, on Saturday, where caretaker Raveendran Nair and domestic maid Leela whose roles are under a cloud were brought in.
Though suspicions have been raised over the seven deaths in the family, the probe team is currently investigating only the deaths of Jayamadhavan Nair and Jayaprakash Nair apart from the reported property transfer.
The Crime Branch on Saturday inspected the spots where an injured Jayamadhavan was found lying. A team of forensic experts that accompanied the probe officers collected scientific evidence from the room of Jayamadhavan, the last of the victims. At the time of his death in 2017, this room was not examined by the police.
Both Raveendran and Leela gave their versions to the investigators.
The autopsy report and chemical test on the internal organs state that Jayamadhavan's death occurred due to injuries to his head. There were also injuries to his face and blood had clotted on his face. Also, blood had entered the nostrils and mouth.
The probe officers are checking how these injuries could have been sustained. Crime Branch DCP Mohammed Ariff too said that a head injury had led to Jayamadhavan's death. However, the probe team is checking if the injury was caused after he collapsed after a heart attack. "All those linked to the case would be questioned. Though the lengthy time period would prove to be crucial in the case, not all evidence has been lost," he added.
Gopinathan Nair, his wife Sumukhiamma, their children Jayasree, Jayabalakrishnan, Jayaprakash, Gopinathan Nair's nephews Unnikrishnan Nair and Jayamadhavan Nair had died from 1991 to 2017.
The mysterious deaths and the alleged illegal transfer of the family assets had raised suspicions.
Contradictory statements add to mystery
The contradictions in the statements of the accused have prompted the Crime Branch to suspect that Jayamadhavan, 63, was murdered.
Raveendran had claimed that he had seen Jayamadhavan lying on the floor after having fallen off the cot on April 2, 2017. He then reportedly took Jayamadhavan to the Medical College Hospital in an autorickshaw.
"After the doctors informed that Jayamadhavan was dead, myself and Leela went to the Karamana police station. I got off to give statements to the police and Leela went back to the Koodathil house," Raveendran said in his statement.
However, Leela said that Raveendran asked her to go home in the autorickshaw as Jayamadhavan’s autopsy had to be conducted. It was another aide Sahadevan Nair who had called for the vehicle to take Jayamadhavan to hospital even though a neighbour used to park his autorickshaw at Uma Mandiram every night. Complainant Prasanna Kumari had stressed that this incident itself evokes suspicion.
The Crime Branch had picked on these contradictions from the very beginning of the probe. Even on the matter of preparing the will, the statements of Raveendran, Leela and another aide Sahadevan are contradictory.
Strangely, Sahadevan had told the probe officers that he did not know anything about the incident.
