Hemachandran murder case: Chargesheet submitted, lookout notice against woman accused

Kozhikode: The Medical College police have charged six accused, including a woman, with abduction, murder and destruction of evidence in the 2024 Hemachandran murder case, as per the chargesheet filed before the Kunnamangalam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Monday. 

Leeba, a Kannur native and the only woman accused in the case, is currently in Kuwait. A lookout notice has been issued against her, said Medical College Inspector Baiju K Jose. The others, Wayanad natives P Noushad (33) of Pazhupathur, V S Ajesh (27) of Kidanganad, Bathery, Jyothish Kumar (35), V R Vyshakh (35) of Nenmeni, and Melbin Mathew of Kuppaddi, Wayanad, are currently in judicial custody.

According to the Inspector, Leeba lured Hemachandran to the hospital premises and shared his location with the gang. The Inspector also said that the team had to rely heavily on call records, as the delay in reopening the case rendered the CCTV footage unusable. The accused were found to have used multiple phones, and investigators tracked calls made to friends and relatives, along with those of the victim, he added. 

Hemachandran went missing from the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital premises on March 19, 2024, following which his wife lodged a missing persons complaint. Nearly one-and-a-half years later, the case was reopened by then station inspector Jijeesh under the supervision of ACP A Umesh. It was later found to be a murder. Several accused were arrested and Hemachandran’s remains were exhumed from a forest area in Cherambadi, on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border.

Police said the investigation was completed within 90 days. The probe was supervised by Deputy Police Commissioner Arun K Pavitran and led by ACP A Umesh and Inspector Jijeesh, with assistance from the Medical College police and the City Crime Squad.