Nenmara town in Kerala’s Palakkad district is on the boil after a shocking double murder. Local resident Sudhakaran, 55 and his mother Lakshmi, 75, were brutally stabbed to death at their home on Monday. The accused is their neighbour Chenthamara, who was out on bail in the murder case Sudhakaran’s wife Sajitha five years back. Police have arrested Chenthamara after a 36-hour search. Public outrage over the chilling double murder has sparked protests outside the police station and the cops had to use mild force to tackle them.
A Family Wiped Out
Sudhakaran’s daughters Akhila and Athulya are inconsolable after losing their parents within five years to horrific acts of murder. In 2019, Chenthamara allegedly murdered their mother Sajitha. After staying in prison for a few years, he was out on bail and returned to his home in Nenmara. Local residents and Sudhakaran’s daughters have alleged that they told police to remove Chenthamara from the neighbourhood, but they did not respond. On Monday, the 58-year-old allegedly stabbed Sudhakaran and his mother in their home.
Akhila and Athulya have demanded Chenthamara’s death by hanging. “He killed our mother in 2019 and was in jail. Then he came out and killed our father and grandmother. He is arrested now. He will be put in jail, only to be released a few years later and again he will kill people,” they said, adding, “Why did he do this to our father? Just see how he killed our father.”
The Motive, And More Targets
According to police, Chenthamara has confessed to the double murder. The accused has said he suspected Sudhakaran would attack him to avenge his wife. So he killed him and his mother. Multiple reports say Chenthamara suspected that his wife left him due to witchcraft by Sudhakaran’s family. It was this grudge that led him to allegedly murder Sajitha in 2019.
Palakkad police chief Ajith Kumar told the media that the accused has made revelations about his motive behind the murders. “What I am telling you are only the preliminary findings which are yet to be corroborated. He (Chenthamara) believes his wife left him due to the interference by the victims’ family,” the officer said.
After Sajitha’s murder in 2019, Sudhakaran married again. His second wife and daughters survived because they were not at home when Chenthamara struck. He has also told police that he planned to murder his estranged wife too. Police have said that the double murder was premeditated and that Chenthamara had bought a weapon specifically for the purpose.
How Police Caught Him
Chenthamara was hiding in a forest area after the double murder. It took cops more than 36 hours to arrest him. Police have said he knew the forest area well and had been closely tracking the police’s movements to evade them. Eventually, the cops laid a trap. They announced that they were calling off the search. Chenthamara heard this. He was hungry and decided to return to his home and collect supplies before returning to the hiding place. But on his way home, he found the police waiting. He was arrested around 10.30 pm yesterday.
The news of his arrest triggered massive protests outside the police station and the cops had to use mild force to bring the situation under control. Chenthamara will be produced in court today. Police said he may be taken to the crime scene for reconstruction of the double murder.
Inputs by SP Babu