Kilimanoor, Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala police team probing the brutal murder of former radio jockey R Rajesh Kumar has confirmed the involvement of a 'quotation' racket, but they are yet find out the persons who hired the gang or the motive behind the crime.
Though Rajesh’s relatives told the police that he had no enmity with anyone, the case is being probed from all dimensions. The police are making inquiries about a Gulf-based woman with whom Rajesh was talking over the phone when the attack happened. It was the woman who informed one of her friends about the incident, who contacted the police.
Meanwhile, the investigators retrieved CCTV camera footage from the area after they received information that the car in which the assailants travelled was spotted in and around Madavoor on Tuesday.
It was learnt that two unidentified persons had approached Rajesh on Monday afternoon with a request to cooperate in the production of a short film. As Rajesh had to go to Chennai, he handed over the task to a group in Attingal. Efforts are on to identify the duo and trace their whereabouts, officials said.
The police have taken Rajesh’s mobile phone into custody and are trying to obtain the call records.
Rajesh, 34, who was also an accomplished folk singer, was hacked to death by a gang in his sound recording studio - Metra’s - at Madavoor in the early hours of Tuesday. He is the son of Radhakrishna Kurup and Vasanthakumari of Asha Nivas, Padinjattela near Madavoor.
The gang also attacked his friend Kuttan, 50, who was present at the studio. He sustained deep cuts on his shoulder and arm and is undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.
The gang arrived in a car and attacked them with sharp weapons shortly after the duo reached the studio following a stage show at the Nagarukavu Sreekrishna Temple in Mullanalloor.
15 wounds
Rajesh, who had fifteen wounds on him, died due to excessive bleeding. Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot within ten minutes and took Rajesh to a private hospital in Parippally, but he breathed his last on the way.
The fateful night
As per Kuttan’s statement, they returned to the studio on a bike after performing at the temple. “Rajesh went home and brought food for both us. After eating it, I was standing in front of the studio when I noticed a car stationed on the road in front of the building. The vehicle proceeded towards Pallikkal, but within minutes returned to the same spot. An armed gang of four came out of the car and barged into the studio and attacked me with swords. I ran out screaming and tried to wake up people in the neighbourhood, but nobody responded. Though some of them turned the lights on, not a single person came out. The attackers did not come looking for me. When the gang left the area, I went back to the studio, and saw Rajesh lying in a pool of blood,” Kuttan said.
Rajesh worked with Red FM for about 10 years before joining Voice of Kerala in Doha, Qatar. Some months ago, he returned home and joined the folk music troupe based in Madavoor.
He was planning to take up a job in a Chennai-based school. He had earlier worked as a parallel college teacher, his relatives said.
He leaves behind his wife Rohini, who is eight-month pregnant, and son Arjun, 5.
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