Two persons were arrested by the Attingal police on Tuesday in connection with the death of a 33-year-old man a week ago. The accused have been identified as Manikantan, 28, of Thoppichantha, near Varkala, and Ashokan, 44, of Kadakkavoor. Incidentally, Manikantan was arrested by the Kadakkavoor police on Monday in connection with the death of a 72-year-old woman at Alamcode.
The victim, Manu Karthikeyan, 33, was found dead at his courtyard in Poovanpara beside his motorcycle late on December 6. While the incident was believed to have been accidental, the presence of unnatural injuries raised suspicion regarding the cause of death. A post-mortem revealed a deep wound on the back of the victim’s head, which indicated that he could have been stabbed using a sharp object.
According to Superintendent of Police (Thiruvananthapuram Rural) K. Shefeen Ahamed, subsequent investigation brought to light that Manu had been involved in an argument a few weeks prior to the incident. Based on information obtained from eye-witnesses, Ashokan, a local politician, was taken into custody by the police.
Upon interrogation, he purportedly confessed to his involvement and revealed the hand of Manikantan in the incident. Manikantan, who was then apprehended by the Kadakkavoor police in connection with the murder of the aged woman, was questioned by the Attingal police. “They were allegedly manhandled by Manu and one Vishnu when they had gone to a wayside stall and Manikantan wanted to avenge the assault. On December 6, Manikantan hid himself near the courtyard. As Manu returned after a journey, Manikantan stabbed him from behind and fled from the scene. Manu was found lying on the ground by his family,” the official said.
