Further investigation into the murder of Shaji of Kovalam, whose body was found in a gunny bag from the Pulluvila beach on August 18, has revealed that the statements of his brother, Satheesh, who was arrested on charges of the murder, were not entirely true and that it was a pre-planned murder committed with the help of another person.
According to the Vizhinjam police, the finding based on mobile signals that Satheesh was in a private resort at Kovalam on the night of the murder, and not at his residence as he had claimed, led to further investigation and also to the revelation that Satheesh was helped by his friend Arogyadas in the killing and dumping of the body. Arogyadas is at large now.
Satheesh admitted during police interrogation that he had strangulated Shaji after Arogyadas called him to the resort on the pretext of ironing out differences between the brothers.
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They then stuffed the body into a gunny bag and took it in a rented car to the Vizhinjam harbour area, from where it was thrown into the sea after tying a rock to the bag.
The car, belonging to a senior police officer but rented out to a rent-a-car service in the city, has been seized by the police.
Satheesh and Arogyadas, the police said, had planned the murder at a boat club owned by Satheesh at Poovar.
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The police are now making efforts to nab Arogyadas.