Thrissur: A man who allegedly disguised himself as a woman to kill his former girlfriend, along with four of his associates, has been taken into custody by the Guruvayur Police.

The detained men have been identified as Prasad, Bineesh, Stephen, Shahid, and Adarsh, all natives of Thodupuzha in Idukki district. The incident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday.

According to the police, local residents noticed Prasad, dressed as a woman, behaving suspiciously near a juice shop close to the Manjulal Parking Ground in Guruvayur and alerted officers, who took the individual into custody for questioning.

Police said inconsistencies in his statements led to further investigation, during which four more men were detained from a car bearing a Thodupuzha registration number parked nearby. Officers also seized 16 grams of cannabis from the vehicle.

The investigation revealed that Prasad had previously been in a relationship with a woman who worked at a spa. The couple reportedly separated a few months ago, following which the woman moved to Thrissur for work.

During questioning, Prasad allegedly confessed that he had planned to enter the lodge where the woman was staying, disguised as a woman, and kill her over the breakup, police said.

Investigators are also probing the role of the other four men in the alleged conspiracy. The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 112 (organised crime), as well as under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possession of cannabis. According to police, Prasad is also involved in other criminal cases.