Idukki murder: Business feud turns fatal, two more held

Idukki murder: Business feud turns fatal, two more held

Idukki , The arrest of two more individuals in connection with the murder of a 50-year-old businessman in this hill district—who had been missing since Thursday and was later found dead in a manhole inside a catering godown in Kalayanthani—has been recorded, police said on Sunday.

Idukki murder: Business feud turns fatal, two more held

Biju Joseph, a resident of Chungam, Thodupuzha, had been missing since Thursday morning after leaving home for a walk. His family filed a missing person report the next day.

Subsequent investigations revealed that he had been abducted and murdered.

Police said Joseph’s former business partner, Jomon, 50, of Kalayanthani, was the first to be arrested.

The duo had been involved in joint businesses, but Joseph had allegedly refused to pay Jomon his share despite repeated demands.

Jomon is suspected of hiring a three-member gang from Kochi to abduct him.

Mohammed Aslam, 36, of Ernakulam, and Jomin Kurian, 25, of Kannur, who were already in custody, have now been formally arrested, police added.

With this, three people have been arrested in the case.

According to police, Joseph was tracked for several days before being forcibly taken from near his house on Thursday morning.

During the abduction, a scuffle broke out inside the vehicle, leading to a fatal brain injury and internal bleeding. His body was later dumped in a manhole inside Jomon’s godown and covered with food waste, police added.

Police recovered pepper spray and a pair of slippers from the crime scene. The weapons used to bury the body were also found at the godown.

Following the postmortem, Joseph’s body was handed over to his family. The investigation is ongoing.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.