Kottayam: TK Vijayakumar, who was murdered along with his wife Meera at Thiruvathukkal, had never missed a single day at Indraprastham, the hotel and convention centre he owned in the heart of Kottayam town. Once he reached the place, he wouldn’t head to his office on the first floor. Instead, he would settle into a beige-coloured sofa in the reception area—scrolling through his phone, laughing, chatting, and spending time with the front desk staff.

It had become a ritual. But on Tuesday morning, he didn’t show up. The staff, puzzled at first, only learned the devastating news after media contacted them.

Vijayakumar and Meera were found hacked to death in two separate rooms of their home. An axe was found next to Meera's body. The one to find them was their domestic help.

A former Air Force officer, Vijayakumar had later spent 30 years working in Saudi Arabia before returning home to build a new life. “He was hardworking and fearless,” says Jincy, one of the front office staff.

The Indraprastham Convention Centre is five-minute drive from his residence. He arrived every day at 10am, stayed till 1.30pm, returned by 6.30 in the evening, and remained till 10.30pm. “He never missed a day unless he was sick or had to travel—mostly to Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram. He always drove himself. He had two more luxury cars parked here, which he used only for long trips,” says Jincy.

There, two cars stand parked, side by side—one his, and the other, his son Gautham’s. “For him, that sight was painful. He used to start his son’s car every day. But he never took it out,” Jincy says. Gautham was found dead in June 2017, near the Ottakapilmavu railway gate in Kottayam. The police ruled it a suicide, but Vijayakumar never believed it. After years of persistence, he had recently secured a High Court order for a CBI investigation into the death.

"He once tried bringing the car home, but his wife objected. They were both broken after Gautham’s death, sinking into depression," Jincy recalls.

Vijayakumar had started Indraprastham 25 years ago. In the early days, it was Meera who ran the show. But after their son’s death, she stopped coming to the office altogether. The couple withdrew from all festivities. “Even this Vishu, he came and gave all of us ‘Vishukaineettam’. But he said he had no Vishu to celebrate. But he often made time for friends,” Jincy adds.

To Shyam, another employee, Vijayakumar was more than a boss—he was a friend. “He had an office upstairs with all facilities, but he always preferred the reception sofa. He sat at the end of it, where he could easily chat with us.”

Sharp and punctual, Vijayakumar maintained a strict routine. He took care of the daily accounts and cross-checked every detail. He trusted his team and treated them with warmth. The small group of six staff members at Indraprastham now find themselves directionless. “Only his daughter is left now, and she’s abroad. We’ll manage somehow,” says Shyam.

“I joined a few months ago,” says Shyam. “I heard he used to be strict before Gautham’s death. But after that, he became softer. Even if he got angry, it would pass in seconds.”

Vijayakumar also adored his pets—two dogs, a mongrel and a Labrador. “One dog died just three days ago due to age,” Jincy shares.