A special investigation team on Monday arrested a 45-year-old man from Kozhikode on charge of murdering an elderly couple at Vadakkekara near North Paravur.
The police identified the accused as Joshy of Meykkad House at Neendur near North Paravur, who was also a friend of the victims’ son Rojo. They attributed robbery as the prime motive behind the double murder.
According to the police, Joshy was an extreme alcoholic and he murdered Jose and Rosily with an intention to steal their gold ornaments. The murder took place after the accused, who had been living at his wife’s house in Ramanattukara, Malappuram, came to attend the Kodungalloor Bharani festival with his younger daughter.
“After dropping the girl at his brother’s house at Neendur, he spent all his money to buy liquor. Later, he approached the couple to borrow some money,” said Manoj, Circle inspector of Police, Vadakkekkara. But the couple told him that they were facing severe financial crunch and was planning to rent out their upstairs. Joshy then asked Jose to show him the rooms so that he could bring possible tenants. But when they reached the upstairs, Joshy attacked Jose from behind with a knife. He then came down and attacked Rosily with the same knife and fled the scene with the gold ornaments worn by the couple.
Joshi returned to Malappuram in a taxi cab and paid the taxi fare after selling one of these ornaments at a jewellery shop on the way. A day after, he called up the taxi driver to inform that he was coming to Vadakkekara for attending the couple’s funeral. “The taxi driver, who became suspicious over the act, approached the police and we could trace the accused using this input”, said the Circle Inspector.
Jose, 70, and his wife Rosily, 64, were found lying dead inside their house by a few election campaigners. They found the door to the house was partly open and saw the body of Rosily near the stairs. They informed the neighbours and the relatives residing nearby after which Jose’s body was also found on the first floor.
