Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police team probing the Sanalkumar murder case has suffered a setback as the prime accused Neyyattinkara DySP Harikumar killed himself even as they were waiting for him to surrender 'as promised'.

The police had located his number on a mobile phone tower near his Veyiloor house at Kallambalam on Monday evening, but did not move for the arrest as he had pledged to surrender by 4 pm Monday.

The DySP had fooled the investigating team as he moved from one location to another outside the state for nine days after the murder of electrician-plumber Sanal at Neyyattinkara on November 5.

Harikumar had fled with his friend Binu as soon as Sanal was knocked down and killed by a car after the DySP pushed him on to the street. The case was initially in the hands of the local police. Later it was passed on to Crime Branch SP K M Antony. But as allegations were aired that ruling Left-front leaders and the police association were protecting him, the government entrusted the case to a higher officer, Crime Branch Inspector General (IG) S Sreejith.

On the run

Harikumar gave a tough time to the police by hiding, even as public fury was mounting in the state. He had called Thiruvananthapuram Rural Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar after the murder, to say he was leaving Neyyattinkara. The police later found he had travelled to Thriparappu in Kanyakumari district, and further north to Madurai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, and also to Mysuru and Mangaluru in Karnataka. His new SIM cards as well as those of Binu and their driver were meanwhile being monitored.

Binu's son and the manager of a lodge at Thriparappu were arrested as part of a police tactic. Harikumar's brother Madhavan Nair was summoned and interrogated. The police claim the officer thus came under heavy pressure.

IG Sreejith had travelled to a location near Chennai on Sunday after receiving information that Harikumar was there. A family which was readying for a wedding on Tuesday was questioned about Harikumar's whereabouts as the police were told he had visited them.

Mediation too

The investigators then tracked mobile locations and followed Harikumar. Some mediating police officers pressed Harikumar to surrender. A top police officer said Harikumar had agreed to give in by 4 pm Monday, and requested that he should not be lodged at the Neyyattinkara sub-jail where he feared some of his imprisoned enemies could attack him.

On Monday morning, the police confirmed from a tower location that Harikumar had left Mangaluru and was headed for Kerala. His phone was switched off for a while after

that, and occasionally switched on between 7 pm and 10.30 pm. The phone was then traced to a tower within a kilometre of his Kallambalam house. The police called him. He picked up twice, but did not answer. The police claimed someone was sent to his house immediately, but no one was available there.

There was reason for suspicion that Harikumar was fooling again, because he did not surrender at 4 pm as he had promised. It was the investigating team which was shocked first on Tuesday morning as they were told of his suicide. IG Sreejith had chased Harikumar in vain before calling of his chase after 36 hours.

Parts with friend

Harikumar and Binu, who were together during their flight from the law, had parted at Kallambalam on Monday evening, the police said. They also claimed that Harikumar had told Binu at the house of a friend that he was set to surrender so that further police action could then be avoided.

Probe to continue

Director General of Police Loknath Behera said, “The probe will continue on the murder of Neyyattinkara native S Sanal. The investigation will not be stopped just because the accused is dead. We will examine all aspects of the case.”

Read more: Latest Kerala news