Kerala: One arrested, two in custody in man's murder in Idukki
Kerala: One arrested, two in custody in man's murder in Idukki
Idukki , One person was arrested, and two others were detained on Saturday in connection with the discovery of the body of a man who had been missing since Thursday morning in this hill district. The investigation has revealed it to be a planned murder, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Biju Joseph, 50, a native of Chungam in Thodupuzha, police added.
Joseph’s body was found in a manhole inside a godown of a catering firm in Kalayanthani, near Thodupuzha.
He had been missing since early Thursday after leaving home for a morning walk. His relatives filed a missing person report with the Thodupuzha police on Friday.
According to the police, Jomon, 50, a resident of Kalayanthani near Thodupuzha and a former business partner of the deceased, has been formally arrested.
Addressing the media in Thodupuzha, Idukki District Superintendent of Police Vishnu Pratheep stated that the arrests of the two detained suspects will be recorded soon.
He also mentioned that a fourth accused is already in judicial custody after being arrested under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Act .
DSP Pratheep added that Joseph and Jomon had longstanding financial disputes, with police having previously intervened in related complaints filed at various stations.
"The preliminary inquiry suggests that it was a planned murder," he said.
During the investigation, police recovered Joseph’s clothes and shoes.
Investigators initially attempted to contact his former business partner, a native of Kalayanthani but found his phone switched off.
As the probe progressed, three persons, including the former business partner, were taken into custody.
Joseph and Jomon had been involved in joint businesses, but Joseph had allegedly refused to pay his partner’s share despite repeated demands. In response, the business partner is suspected of hiring a three-member criminal gang from Kochi to abduct Joseph. However, during the abduction in a vehicle, a scuffle ensued, leading to Joseph’s death, police said.
The trio then disposed of the body in a manhole leading to a waste disposal pit inside the godown, covering it with food waste. The catering firm where the body was found is owned by Jomon, police said.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details will be disclosed later, a senior police officer said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
