Pandalam/Pala: Police are in a fix after a man ‘killed’ in a road accident three months ago surfaced alive at the Kayamkulam bus stand.
A re-investigation has now been launched to find the identity of the deceased, whose body was buried.
A youth was fatally knocked down by a vehicle at Edappady, Pala, on last Christmas. Suspecting it was V K Sabu, alias Sakkai, (35) a police contacted his relatives.
Sabu’s brother Saji said they received a call from the police station at Pala, informing them of the accident on December 26. The relatives ‘identified’ the body since it too had three front teeth missing like Sabu.
The relatives received the body and brought it home before conducting the funeral at St Stephen’s Church at Kudassanad.
Police said DNA samples collected from the body were yet to be examined.
The twist in the tale happened when bus driver Muraleedharan Nair saw his former colleague Sabu loitering around the bus stand at Kayamkulam on Friday morning. Nair approached Sabu and informed him of his ‘death.’
Sabu has been moving around, doing odd jobs, and visited home only once a year.
"As I am accused in a few robbery cases I kept away from my native place and didn't keep in touch with family members," Sabu clarified.
Several police stations have registered cases against Sabu, Adoor Deputy Superintendent of Police B Vinod said.
His relatives were called to the police station on Friday so that they could be convinced he is not dead.
Sabu was handed over to the cops of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College police station where a theft case has been registered against him. He was accused of pocketing Rs 46,000 from a hotel where he had worked.
Pandalam police has decided to take appropriate steps with regard to the buried body after consulting with higher authorities.
Meanwhile, the probe to identify the accident victim will become a headache for the police since there are no complainants or evidence.
Pala police will examine the cases of missing persons registered in other stations, besides examining the accident scene and surrounding areas in detail, Station House Officer Sunil Thomas said.
