Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (EP)
Kasargod, Feb 23: The police team investigating the murder of retired teacher P V Janaki (65) at Puliyannoor, Chimeni on December 13, 2017, have arrested two persons. The main accused is said to have fled to a foreign country.
The arrested are Rinesh (27) and Vishakh (28), residents of Chirikkula, Puliyannoor. The main accused who has fled abroad is Arun (28).
It may be recalled that three masked men had broken into Janaki and her husband Krishnan’s house at Chimeni on the night of December 13. The culprits had threatened by brandishing weapons at the retired teacher couple and demanded the key of the cupboard. When Janaki refused to hand over the keys, the accused slit her throat and killed her. When her husband Krishnan tried to confront them, the accused strangled him and assaulted him with weapons.
The accused then took away 23 sovereigns of gold, Rs 35,000 in cash and a mobile phone and fled from the scene. Krishnan who had fallen unconscious for more than an hour had informed the police and relatives about the incident after he regained consciousness.
The police, who swung into action in the night itself, extended their investigations to other states besides Kerala. They even caught up with a Maharashtra registered pick up van which had transported fruits and vegetable to the area on the day of the crime.
Though there were suspicions of involvement of accused belonging to other states, the police had no definite clues. As there were no significant developments regarding the case, political parties Congress and BJP and other organizations held protests. It took two months for the police to nab the accused.
Murder by Janaki's former students
The arrested persons Rinish and Vishakh were students of retired teacher Janaki when they were in Puliyannoor government lower primary school. The two accused had developed friendship with Arun who had come to his hometown from abroad on vacation and hatched a plan for the robbery.
Arun, the main accused, has allegedly sold the stolen jewellery and fled to the Gulf with the money. The accused had received Rs 1.20 lac at Kannur and Rs 1.30 lac in Mangaluru for the jewellery. The suspicious movements of Vishakh and a large sum of money at home observed by his father helped the matter come to light.
The jewellery was buried near the house for a few days. It was later sold to four jewellers at Mangaluru, Kannur and other places. The money received after the sale was kept by Vishakh at home. His father, who came to know about it, informed the police and helped them solve the case.
Fear of being identified led to murder
According to the confession to the police, the accused had broken into Janaki’s house for robbery. But Janaki identified one of them due to his voice. Therefore, they killed her to prevent being caught. Among the accused, Vishakh is a mechanic. Rinesh used to go for daily wage work. Another accused, Arun, is employed in Bahrain and had come down on a month's vacation. The trio had visited a nearby temple in the night where a festival was being celebrated, before breaking into the house of the teacher on their way back. The accused confessed that they had thrown the weapons used in the crime into a lake in Chimeni.
Police receive praise
The police team has received accolades for solving two cases of gruesome murder and robberies out of three reported in the district. The accused of the murder of Uduma Ayampara resident Zubaida on January 17 were arrested a few days ago. Now, the police have arrested two accused in robbery and murder case of Janaki. However the murder of Devaki, a year ago, has remained a mystery. The accused are still not nabbed. Special investigating teams are formed to handle the case. The police are hopeful of solving the case as they have nabbed the accused of two cases in two months.
North zone ADGP Rajesh Diwan, IGP Mahipal Yadav, district SP K G Simon, DySP K Damodaran and other officials gave the details in a press conference.