Chittar Sandeep murder: Accused held with illegal firearm, explosives

A 36-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death in Pathanamthitta after the father of a woman with whom he was in a relationship accused him of driving her to attempt suicide, police said.

Sandeep was a native of Kodumudy, Kaikayam in Chittar. The main accused were Krishnankutty (55), a resident of Attathodu in Perunad, and his friend Suresh Kumar, a native of Kadapuzha in Malayalapuzha. Krishnankutty's daughter is undergoing treatment at the Kottayam Medical College, allegedly after consuming poison.

According to police, Sandeep and the woman were in a relationship. Investigators suspect that the woman's suicide attempt prompted Krishnankutty and Suresh Kumar to attack Sandeep.

Sandeep was found unconscious in a farmland near his house at Kodumudy between 8 pm and 10 pm on Sunday. He was rushed to the Government General Hospital in Pathanamthitta, where doctors declared him brought dead.

"Sandeep was found lying unconscious by a neighbour, who informed his brother. They immediately shifted him to the hospital," an officer with the Chittar police station said. A daily wage worker, Sandeep, is survived by his parents and two younger siblings.

Police said Krishnankutty, a driver by profession, and Suresh Kumar are suspected to have assaulted Sandeep over the issue involving Krishnankutty's daughter. "It is yet to be ascertained whether the victim was attacked at the farmland itself or assaulted elsewhere and later brought there," the officer said.

According to the police, the postmortem indicated that Sandeep died due to severe internal bleeding and multiple bone injuries.

The accused were identified with the help of local residents who saw them in the area around the time of the incident. Police initially registered a case of unnatural death before converting it into a murder case after gathering evidence pointing to homicide.

The two accused were tracked down and arrested on Monday. However, during their arrest, police recovered a country-made gun, gunpowder and ammunition from their possession without any valid licence or permit. Their associate, Gopi (60), who was accompanying them, was also taken into custody. A separate case was subsequently registered against the trio under the Arms Act and the Explosives Act.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused were illegally possessing the firearm, ammunition and explosive materials with the intention of committing an offence or hunting wild animals. Police also recovered a machete from beneath the seat of the Chevrolet Tavera vehicle (registration number KL-23-C-3058) in which they were travelling.

In the arms case, the trio have been booked under Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 3 and 25(1B)(b) of the Arms Act, which deal with the unlawful acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition, and Section 9B(1)(b) of the Explosives Act for the illegal possession of explosive substances.  

The accused were produced before a court in Ranni, which remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody. They have been lodged in the Kottarakkara sub-jail.

"Krishnankutty and his associates are already accused in multiple cases registered at different police stations. We are verifying those cases as part of the investigation," the police officer added.