Palode murder accused arrested

The arrested were identified as butcher Shajahan, 39, alias Erachi Shaji of Muttathara and his paramour Seema Wilfred, 36, of Kurupuzha, Anad, who were residing at Aryankuzhy, Kamaleswaram.

Their aides Subair, 35, of Mooppan Vilakom, Kazhakoottam, and Saju, 49, of Noorji Manzil, Kalippankulam, were also held.

As per the police, the deceased, Mohanan Nair of Ilavattom, started an affair with neighbour Seema Wilfred after her husband Harikumar was imprisoned after being accused in few cases.

Shajahan, who was shortly in jail along with Harikumar, established a relation with Seema, who then broke up with Mohanan Nair.

However, Mr Nair continued to stalk Seema over the phone and simultaneously developed a friendly relationship with Shajahan.

On the day of murder on September 21, Shajahan was taking part in a function at aide Saju's house when Mr Nair called him and narrated details of the physical relations he used to have with Seema.

Shajahan and other co-accused who listened to the conversation on speaker phone decided to kill him.

Shajahan then encountered Seema and bashed her up but later arrived at a consensus that they will lure and eliminate Nair.

On the same night, based on Seema's phone call, Mr Nair boarded an autorickshaw along with Shajahan on the pretext of meeting her.

While Subair drove the vehicle, Shajahan pierced the victim's chest with a butcher's knife. He was pushed out of the auto at Thaikaavu Junction on Thiruvananthapuram-Tenkasi Road around 150 metres away from his house and left to bleed to death.

Saju, who helped the accused escape from the city, was arrested on October 6. The gang went absconding to places like Thiruchendur and Thootukkudi.

Rural SP Shafeen Ahamed formed three teams led by Palode CI Jayakumar, Palode SI Harilal and Vithura SI Baiju respectively. The trio were finally held from Karamana by a team under Nedumangad DYSP Saidudeen, and the arrest was recorded on Saturday.