Kottayam: The police have almost completed the investigations into the murder of Manu Mathew, 32, Changanassery mandalam president of the Janathipathya Kerala Youth Front, at the Perunna private stand in Changanassery on October 6, allegedly by a group of six persons. The chargesheet will be filed in a month as the police have received vital evidence against the six accused, including the footages of the attack from a CCTV camera at a hotel in the town, said Changanassery CI Binu Varghese.
The six, who have been remanded in the Kottayam sub-jail, are Aalummootil Nidhin, 32, Thrikkodithanam panchayat member, Fathima Puram Vettukuzhiyil Sijo, Nalukody Kaduthanam, K.N. Arjun, 22, Cheruveliparampil Sooraj Soman, 26, Arackal Binu, 24, and Vazhayil Shameer. Five of them were charged with murder and Vazhayil Shameer with destruction of evidence.
According to the police, though the immediate provocation for the attack was a dispute over parking of a vehicle near the private bus stand, the six had planned to eliminate Manu Mathew. Manu and Aalummoottil Nidhin were colleagues in the Congress party earlier. Their relations were strained when Manu joined the Janathipathya Kerala Congress when it was formed. The police have also recovered the portions of the clothes of the accused and the knife which was used to stab the victim.
