Kozhikode missing youth's death: Shoe recovered from Sarovaram marsh in second phase of search
The accused allegedly admitted that the shoe belonged to Vigil at the time of his death.
The accused allegedly admitted that the shoe belonged to Vigil at the time of his death.
The accused allegedly admitted that the shoe belonged to Vigil at the time of his death.
Kozhikode: Investigators recovered a shoe, believed to belong to missing youth Vigil Velathipadikkal, from the Sarovaram area during the second phase of the search. The item was found at a marshy site identified by the accused as the possible location of Vigil’s burial.
Police had earlier taken into custody K K Nikhil from Vazhathiruthi, Eranjippalam and Deepesh from Thadambattuthazham, Vengery, as primary suspects. Both allegedly admitted that the shoe belonged to Vigil at the time of his death.
Vigil, from Chungam, West Hill, went missing on March 17, 2019. According to the accused, Vigil died from a drug overdose administered by Nikhil, after which they drowned him in a water-filled area. They further claimed to have disposed of his skeleton at sea as part of a ritual.
The search resumed on Tuesday after the police took the accused into custody on Monday. The site, submerged under seven feet of water, was drained using a pump to facilitate evidence collection.
The operation is being supervised by Town Sub-Division Assistant Commissioner Ashraf and Elathur Station Inspector K R Renjith, with forensic experts, cadaver dogs Maya and Murphy, and the Tahsildar present. Police are continuing their efforts to recover additional evidence and reconstruct the full sequence of events surrounding Vigil’s disappearance.