Kochi: Kochi Police will seek the custody of ‘ripper’ Xavier on Wednesday to facilitate his detailed interrogation so as to shed light on his suspected role in more murder cases, especially in similar incidents before 2007.
“We will file an application before the trial court seeking his custody for a minimum period of one week. We’ve taken details of such cases today and will question him for the next two days if the court allows his custody tomorrow. A police team from Kannur will interrogate him later in the week,” a senior officer said.
The cops now believe that Xavier was into stealing and drug use much before 2007, when the first of the nine murders were committed. Panickar Kunjumon alias Xavier (42), a painting employee based in Thevara, was arrested on Sunday.
He used to target low-profile victims who sleep by road sides and murder them by hitting them with heavy objects on their heads upon resisting robbery bids. Cops found evidence linking him to nine such cases, the latest happening on March 9 when he allegedly attacked 58-year-old Unnikrishnan with a stone after a brawl.
Meanwhile, the Kochi Police have launched a special team ‘Snipers’ for reinvestigating cases in which pavement dwellers were attacked in and around the region over the past one and half decades.
