Haripad: The murder of a 75-year-old moneylender at Pallippad here in Kerala's Alappuzha district has been cracked and three people have been arrested over the crime. The three accused had reportedly planned the murder one week in advance and were inspired by scenes in cinema in executing the crime.
Rajesh (36), Sreekanth (26) and Vishnu (23), all of them hailing from Neendoor and Pallippad, were arrested by Haripad police on Saturday in connection with the murder of Kondareth Padeettathil Rajan, a resident of Meendoor Muri, Pallippad, on April 10. They had plotted the murder as Rajan, an ex-serviceman, had pestered Rajesh to return money lend to him.
The accused have been charged with murdering Rajan and then burying his body in a vacant plot.
According to the police, the accused had at first plotted a hit-and-run murder, and then planned to arrange some hired assassins or ‘quotation gang,’ in local parlance. However, the team later decided to kidnap Rajan, make him unconscious using chloroform and then commit the murder. But, as the accused were trying to suffocate him with chloroform, Rajan had managed to fling it away in the tussle. Then, the accused strangled him from behind using wire and bathing towel (thorthu).
After committing the murder, the accused placed Rajan's body on the front seat of a car after tilting its seat backwards and put on the seat belts. In that position, they drove the car around Haripad town many times. Reaching near Rajesh’s home by evening, the accused hid the body below the back seat using bed sheets. By night, they reached near Kureekkad Junction, planning to bury the body in the paddy fields nearby. But fearing that the body might come out if the paddy fields get water-logged in the rains, they dropped that plan. Later, they selected an unoccupied house near the paddy field. The house was located in a plot with compound wall.
Carrying the body through the paddy field, they threw it over the compound wall and buried the body in a pit they dug. The pit was covered with hollow bricks and gravel that was stored in the compound. The trio was under the impression that spreading the gravel will prevent the body being discovered, as was shown in the 2013 Malayalam film ‘Drisyam.’
Rajesh had left his mobile phone at home after making a call to Rajan before summoning him, in order to escape from the police tracking the mobile phone. All the phone calls were made from Vishnu’s mobile afterwards. Even though the accused had managed to evade the questioning in the beginning, they were trapped as the car found in the CCTV footage was discovered.
The accused were nabbed by the police by surrounding the house at night. The house-warming ceremony of Rajesh’s new home had been performed a few days earlier.
What gave away murderers
Rajesh had also tried to divert the probe by joining the relatives of the murdered man to lodge complaint to the police. However, it was the details of the mobile phone calls and the CCTV footage that provided the valuable evidence.
Rajan, the deceased, had arrived at Pallippad around one and a half years ago from Chirayinkeezh to stay with his first wife. Having worked for many years abroad as well, Rajan used to lend money for interest and Rajesh had borrowed around Rs 25 lakh from him. However, he refused to pay back even the interest even though Rajan had demanded many times. Rajesh had finally taken the decision to eliminate Rajan to escape from this liability and asked his friends Sreekanth and Vishnu.
Rajan was summoned by Rajesh by 2 pm on April 10 promising that he would pay the interest. Later, there was no information about Rajan. His mobile was found switched off.
The police discovered that the last call to Rajan’s phone was made by Rajesh. Even after being questioned many times, Rajesh refused any role in the murder. Later, the police questioned Sreekanth and Vishnu also.
The CCTV footage
The leading evidence was provided by the visuals from the CCTV installed at the supermarket at Pallippad. The visuals revealed Rajan waiting by the curb and getting into a white Eon car. Even though the number plate was not completely seen in the visuals, the RTO number, ‘KL 29’ was visible. The police collected the details of similar cars in Pallippad area and found that the car given on rent, belonged to Rajesh’s uncle. Following this, the accused admitted to having committed the crime.
