After spending 113 days in hospital, Jithin K M — the sole survivor of the Chendamangalam triple murder — is finally back home. Still recovering from severe injuries, the 34-year-old is now focused on healing, securing a job, and building a future for his two young daughters.

On January 16, Rithu Jayan (28), a neighbour, brutally assaulted Jithin without any provocation and bludgeoned his wife, Vineesha (32) and her parents, Venu (65) and Usha (62), at their house in Kizhakkupuram, Paravur. The horrifying incident unfolded before Jithin’s daughters, Aradhya (12) and Avani (6).

Jithin was rushed to Aster Medcity in Kochi, where he remained unconscious for 11 days. “We didn’t reveal the deaths to him immediately. It was only over time that he came to terms with the loss,” said Chennamangalam panchayat vice-president Sreejith. The treatment cost crossed ₹15 lakh. While the local panchayat raised ₹3.5 lakh through a community fundraiser, the rest was covered through the MLA funds of Paravur legislator and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan. Jithin, currently undergoing physiotherapy, has just begun walking again with the help of a stick.

An LED advertisement screen technician by profession, Jithin had taken a two-month break from his job in Qatar when tragedy struck. “I was on a call in the front yard around 6 pm and had just stepped into a room when Rithu stormed in with a motorbike stem and hit Vineesha, who was in the drawing room. She collapsed. As I tried to help her, he turned on me. I blacked out,” he recalls. Jithin had postponed his return abroad due to an impending transfer to Bahrain, staying back to complete the necessary formalities.

“I barely knew him (Rithu). We had spoken once or twice. He wasn’t around much, away in Bengaluru or somewhere for a long time. I’d heard he had a history of causing trouble, often while drunk,” Jithin says.

His younger daughter, who was inside at the time, witnessed the entire assault. The elder one, who was in the backyard, rushed in after hearing the noise. Usha’s nephew, Vinesh, took the girls to his home right after the crime. They frequently visited their father in the hospital.

“The trauma has taken a toll,” says Jithin’s mother, Mani. “Avani doesn’t fully understand what happened, but the elder, Aaradhya, is deeply scarred. She rarely speaks and always seems lost in thought. Even now, they hesitate to mingle with other children. Police arranged counselling sessions, and that brought some relief.”

“My daughters are my world now,” says Jithin. “Avani often says, Even if amma is gone, at least achan is here.” Mani stayed with Jithin at the hospital throughout his treatment, while his father, Bose, visited daily. The children were allowed to spend two days with their father, after obtaining a special permission, before his discharge on May 9.

“Hopefully, things improve once school reopens in June. I’d like to return to work too. My position abroad is still vacant, but I’m unsure when I’ll be fit to resume,” he says. His next medical review is on June 9. Until then, he will continue with physiotherapy, which the panchayat has agreed to support fully, including transport and session costs.

Jithin and his daughters live in a rented house in Thoppil, Paravur. He hasn’t returned to his in-laws' home since the incident. “My sister went once to collect some documents. But my family believes it’s best to stay away for a year, until we perform a pooja,” he adds.

“I’m better now, but still feel unsteady while walking. If I hadn’t survived… I shudder to think what would’ve happened to my girls. Maybe now I’ll return to the Gulf for work and leave the kids with my parents,” he says. The children now attend DDSHS, Karimpadam — Jithin’s alma mater.

His mother, Mani, previously worked in the Gulf as a domestic help. Bose, his father, ran a small agri-based business. The Ernakulam Rural Police filed the chargesheet on February 16, exactly a month after the killings. Rithu surrendered soon after the incident and is currently in jail.