Murder of realty broker: Police probes lawyer's role

Thrissur: The special investigation team on the Chalakkudy real estate broker murder has turned its focus on the conspiracy senior High Court lawyer C. P. Udayabhanu allegedly involved. The SIT collected the CCTV footage from the house of the victim Veeran Parambil Rajeev in Angamaly on Tuesday and sent for forensic test.

Sources close to SIT said the CCTV grabs showed Mr Udayabhanu visiting several times. It has also sought the assistance of the cyber cell to ascertain if the calls among the lawyer, first accused Chakkarakkal Johnny and the victim was under the same mobile tower at the time of kidnap and murder at Pariyaram in Chalakudy on Friday morning.

Three suspects including first accused Johny, his brother-in-law Sajit of Koratti and Ranjith of Angamaly had given statements to SIT during their interrogation that Mr Udayabhanu knew about it. Johny also gave a statement that he had land and money deals with the victim and his reluctance to give the money back was the reason for enmity. Six persons strangled and smothered Rajeev to death at an abandoned building of Sisters of the Destitute convent while forcefully trying to make the victim sign certain documents.

Rajeev was the real estate broker for two proposed land deals worth Rs 4 to 5 crore for the lawyer who paid an advance of Rs 70 lakh for them. Rajeev's son has also given a statement to the SIT that his father had death threats from both the lawyer and Johnny and had earned a favourable High Court order for police protection.