Kochi: The police here on Saturday confirmed that the youth who reportedly went missing in November 2021 was murdered by a gang in Goa. The deceased has been identified as Jeff John Louis (27), a native of Ernakulam. Police arrested three people-Kottayam natives Anil Chacko, Steffin and Vishnu from Wayanad in connection with the case.
Kochi City police commissioner A Akbar told the media that Jeff was murdered by the three-member gang in Goa over personal vengeance. The official stated that the trio under arrest had confessed to the crime.
Probe into the missing case registered at Ernakulam south police station unfolded the murder. The city police commissioner stated that further investigation will be carried out to identify the involvement of more people in the crime.
According to police, the first accused Anil Chacko from Velloor in Kottayam was reportedly booked in a case registered under KAAPA. Velloor police also registered a case against Steffin, the second accused.
During the interrogation, the first accused had confessed that he hatched the conspiracy to kill Jeff over personal enmity.
The police got the lead about the murder while investigating another case. "While interrogating another person relating to a different case, he revealed that a youth from Kochi was taken to Goa and killed. We could identify the victim as the details matched with the missing case registered in South station," Kochi Deputy Commissioner of Police S Sasidharan told Onmanorama.
He said the police will seek the custody of the accused and they will be taken to Goa for further investigation.
It is suspected that Jeff was murdered in November 2021, four months before the missing complaint was filed. The youth, an MBA dropout, had the habit of staying away from home. However, he used to contact his family in between. His mother approached the police as there was no word from him for a prolonged period, police sources said.
