Thiruvananthapuram: Suspended DySP B Harikumar, who had been on the run for the past nine days after pushing Sanalkumar, an electrician, to death, has been found hanging in his two-storeyed house at Veyloor near Kallambalam, some 45km from Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday.
Police sources said it could be suicide. There is still no information about Binukumar, the money-lender who is said to have been with Harikumar.
The body was spotted by Harikumar's mother-in-law, who comes to the house every morning to feed the dog. Except for the dog, no one lives in the house. It is generally kept locked. Harikumar and his family had lived in Neyyatinkara. Police sources said the death could have happened early in the morning as search team had scoured the area during midnight, too.
'There was no way out'
The death of Harikumar has come on the day the Crime Branch was about to submit a report in the court indicting him for purposeful manslaughter. Top police sources told Onmanorama that Harikumar could have been shocked by the way the case had turned against him. “He must have known that there was no way out. Police teams were deputed to tell him that it was prudent for him to surrender at the earliest but he kept eluding the cops,” sources said. Harikumar is said to have been around the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border all this while.
It was on the night of November 5 that Harikumar pushed Sanalkumar in front of a speeding vehicle at Kodungavila near Neyyattinkara. Sanalkumar died on the way to the hospital. The DySP, with the help of his friend Binu, fled the spot and had been on the run.
The Crime Branch has concluded that the DySP's act of pushing Sanalkumar in front of the speeding vehicle was premeditated. “We were about to submit this report to counter the anticipatory bail plea that Harikumar was expected to move Wednesday before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Thiruvananthapuram,” said Crime Branch IG S Sreejith. Harikumar's argument was that it was accidental.
The Crime Branch, on the basis of eye witness accounts, had concluded that the DySP had done it on purpose. The argument that Harikumar had with Sanalkumar over the parking of the latter's car lasted for nearly 10 minutes and was witnessed by many. According to eyewitness accounts, Harikumar yelled at Sanalkumar asking him to remember that he was the DySP.
It is said that Harikumar could have easily seen the vehicle at least 200 metres away and had timed his push to get Sanalkumar hit by the speeding vehicle. Even the vehicle did not have a chance to brake. This is an act equal to intentional murder, the Crime Branch points out. That Harikumar had been at large for nine days was also pointed out as proof that Harikumar's act was more planned than accidental.
Five police teams were working under Inspector General S Sreejith with the intention of arresting Harikumar before the court sits to hear the anticipatory bail plea.
Scuffle over parking
Sanal was having food when he heard somebody complaining about his parked car, according to eyewitnesses.
Sanal did not complete his meal but rushed to his car. “Who has parked the car here?” shouted the person creating the ruckus. Sanal failed to recognise the man as the DySP and commented that the other person could easily reverse his car, parked behind Sanal’s, and drive away.
This provoked the police officer further and both of them entered into an argument.
Sanal’s family comprises his wife Viji and sons Albin and Ebin. He was the lone breadwinner of his family.
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