A 52-year-old person was arrested on charge of murdering an elderly man sleeping on a shop verandah at Manjapra near Angamaly last week.
Johny alias Reygon Johny, a resident of Kodassery in Chalakudy, was held for the alleged murder of Krishnan Kutty, a native of Ayyampuzha village.
According to the police, the incident happened on the night of August 25. Johny had arrived at the shop in an inebriated condition late in the night and fallen asleep on the verandah.
“When he woke up, he found his ₹7,000 missing. He then saw Krishnan Kutty sleeping nearby. Suspecting that he had stolen the money, the accused, in a fit of rage, assaulted him and choked him to death using a cloth the latter was wearing,” the police said.
The accused then fled and was hiding in Kannur and Thalassery.
“We got a tip-off that he would be visiting his house to take his clothes and money before fleeing to Tamil Nadu. A trap was laid and we caught him when he arrived early morning today,” the police said.
The police recovered a bank pass book in the name of the victim from the possession of Johny. He was later produced before a local court which remanded him in judicial custody.
