Elderly man stabbed to death inside Kochi market; one suspect taken into custody

Kochi: A 60-year-old man was found dead with multiple stab injuries inside a vegetable shop at Illickal Market in Kochi’s Kumbalangi on Saturday morning, prompting a murder investigation by the police. One suspect has been taken into custody and is being questioned.

According to the police, the man, known locally as ‘Mayin’ and ‘Annan’, hailed from an area near Palani in Tamil Nadu. For the past five years, he had been making a living in the market area by repairing footwear and stitching umbrellas.

The body was discovered around 7 am by Manoj, a vegetable vendor from Palluruthy, when he arrived to open his shop. On entering the premises, he found Mayil lying in a pool of blood and immediately alerted the Kumbalangi police.

According to the police, Mayil had been permitted to sleep in the front portion of the vegetable shop for several years.

Following the alert, a police team rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. Senior officers, including the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), forensic experts and investigation officers, examined the crime scene.

“Preliminary examination revealed that the victim had sustained a fatal stab injury to the abdomen. The police suspect the murder occurred during the early hours of Saturday, though the exact time of death will be determined after the postmortem,” said a police officer.

“The forensic team has begun its examination, and more details will emerge after their findings. From the nature of the injuries, it appears to be a case of murder. We are still gathering evidence and verifying his personal details,” the officer added.

Investigators made a breakthrough after examining CCTV footage from cameras installed in and around the market. Based on the visuals, police detained a suspect from the market area itself. Police sources said the man taken into custody was a local worker known to the victim and was believed to have struggled with long-term substance abuse. 

Investigators suspect the killing may have been the result of a dispute that broke out during ganja consumption. Both Mayil and the suspect are believed to have used ganja, and police are examining whether an argument escalated into a fatal assault.

The suspect has not yet been formally arrested. He is currently being interrogated by senior officers, including the ACP, to ascertain the motive and sequence of events leading to the murder. The police said they have not, so far, found evidence of any long-standing enmity between the victim and the suspect.

As Mayil was living as a transient worker, the police have not yet recovered any address proof and are attempting to trace his relatives in Tamil Nadu.