Punalur/Kottayam: A police team investigating the death of Kottayam-native Kevin Joseph claimed that the father of his fiancee, Neenu, had threatened him with death. The team presented evidence in court in this regard and this could likely implicate Chacko.
The police told the First-Class Judicial Magistrate at Ettumanur, near Kottayam, that Chacko telephonically threatened to eliminate Kevin if he didn't keep off Neenu. The cops cited this as proof of Chacko's role in the conspiracy to murder the youth.
The magistrate has rejected Chacko's bail plea.
Meanwhile, the final post-mortem report of Kevin is expected within a week. As the primary report and a subsequent scientific examination had concluded that the death was caused by drowning, a medical board that included forensic surgeons inspected the area near the Chaliyakkara stream where the body was found.
The police team has asked the medical board to confirm whether it was a case of drowning or murder by forced drowning. Scientific examination has found that Kevin was alive when he fell into the waters. Checks carried out at the location were intended to find evidence that would confirm that finding.
The inspection was carried out by a team that included Dr Ranchu Raveendran, forensic chief at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Dr V M Rajeev, additional professor, Dr Santosh Joy, associate professor, Dr Raju Raveendran, and police probe team chief Dy SP Girish P. Saradhi. They examined the area, from the spot where Kevin was ejected from the vehicle on Punalur-Chaliyakkara road and up to the spot where the body was spotted. An alley through which the accused claimed Kevin had ran away was also checked.
Kevin's body was found with his leg stuck in the water. The team examined how Kevin could have sustained an injury found on his sole, one that looked like having been caused by a fall from a height.
The medical board will continue its inspection on Saturday also and will later ready a report that will be handed over to the police team.
Kevin, from Nattassery in Kottayam, and Neenu of Thenmala, Kollam, were in love and the two had decided to get married. Shanu, borther of Neenu, is accused of having abducted him with the help of a gang of goons because the family was opposed to Neenu's marriage with a Dalit Christian. The police case is that Kevin ran out of the vehicle in which he was being kidnapped and drowned in the Chaliyakkara stream.
Read: Latest Kerala News | DGP orders probe into social media post on S Janaki’s 'death'
