Palakkad: Police have confirmed that the country-made gun used in the murder-suicide of two neighbours at Narivinkavu, Karimba, was unlicensed. The deceased, Nithin (25) and Binu (45), were found dead on Tuesday with bullet injuries on their bodies. The firearm and unused bullets were recovered near Binu’s body, said officers from the Kalladikkode police station.

According to locals, no one knew Binu possessed a gun. “Years ago, some people here had country-made guns since the area borders a forest and hunting was common. But as rules became stricter, everyone gave it up. None of us knew Binu still had one,” said Shaji, a neighbour and employee of the Karimba Co-operative Bank.

Residents believe a dispute that arose after Binu allegedly made insulting remarks about Nithin’s mother, Shyla, may have led to the tragedy.

The bodies were found on Tuesday afternoon. Anilkumar, a local resident returning home after tapping work, found Binu lying in a pool of blood on the concrete road near Nithin’s house, with the gun beside him. “No one realised a shooting had happened, even though two bullets were fired. People here often use firecrackers to scare away monkeys, so the sound was mistaken for that,” said Shaji.

The area has few occupied houses, as many families have moved away due to frequent wildlife intrusion, including elephants, monkeys, and wild boars. “It’s almost deserted now, surrounded by forest on all sides,” he adds.

When police searched Nithin’s house, they found him dead on the kitchen floor with a bullet wound and a knife nearby. Officers believe Binu shot Nithin following a confrontation before turning the gun on himself.

Nithin lived with his mother, Shyla, and younger brother Baby. His father, Isaac, had died years ago from illness. Shyla works at a hotel in Edakkurissi, while Baby, who has autism, is a first-year student at MES College, Mannarkkad. “Shyla was at work when the neighbours informed her. Baby returned from college only after the incident,” Suresh said.

Nithin had trained as an AC mechanic but was not employed. Binu, who worked as a headload worker and treecutter, had returned from Attappadi just hours before the incident.

Neighbours described Binu as a solitary and erratic man with a history of violent altercations and alcohol abuse. He lived alone after his mother’s death two years ago, though his siblings occasionally visited him. “Their father left the family decades ago. He was known to hunt wild boars earlier, but not in recent times,” said Suresh.

The bodies were sent for autopsy at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital. Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and begun an investigation.