Kozhikode: Police on Tuesday confirmed the death of Vigil (29), a youth who went missing from Kozhikode in 2019, after a DNA test established that the skeletal remains recovered from the marshy land at Sarovaram Park belonged to him.

According to Elathur police, the DNA profile of the remains matched those of Vigil’s family members. The tests were conducted at the Kannur Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, and the police received the results on Saturday. DNA samples of his mother, Vasantha, and brother, Vigith, were used for comparison.

Police said Vigil’s mortal remains would be handed over to the family on Tuesday.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Biju of the Elathur police station, one of the officers who led the investigation, confirmed that the remains were recovered from Sarovaram. He added that the case was formally transferred to the Nadakkavu police station on Tuesday morning. As part of the procedure, all evidence will be moved from the Koyilandy court to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court–IV in Kozhikode.

“Now, all the evidence we have collected has been established as accurate. The confession statements of the accused, the location where the remains were dumped, the skeletal remains, and the vehicle recovered from Kallayi railway station are crucial pieces of evidence,” the officer said.

A fresh FIR will be registered in the murder case under Sections 304 (culpable homicide), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 297 (trespassing on burial places or indignity to a human corpse), read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, he added.

Vigil Velathipadikkal, a native of Chungam near West Hill, went missing on March 17, 2019. When the Elathur police reopened the investigation in 2025, fresh leads emerged pointing to his death. The probe team suspected the involvement of three of Vigil’s friends in the case.

During interrogation, the three suspects claimed that Vigil died after being administered an overdose of drugs by one of them. They also confessed to dumping his mortal remains in the marshy land at Sarovaram.

Based on these disclosures, police conducted a search in the area in September 2025 and recovered skeletal remains and a pair of shoes believed to belong to Vigil.

The accused — KK Nikhil Vazhathiruthi of Eranhippalam, KK Deepesh of Thadambattuthazham, Vengery, and Ranjith of Kunnamangalam — were remanded in judicial custody for 90 days and later released on bail. Ranjith, who had been absconding, was arrested from Andhra Pradesh.