ALAPPUZHA: Three youths were arrested on Saturday in connection with the murder of a 75-year-old ex-service man. According to Haripad police, the accused have been identified as Sreekanth, 26 Ambilyil Verdi, Pallipad, Rajesh, 36, Kodurethu, Needoor , Pallipad, Vishnu, 31, Kodurethu.
The accused murdered Rajan, Kondareth Padeetathil, following a financial deal. Rajan was missing since April 10.
The accused had borrowed Rs 3 lakh from Rajan after giving a blank cheque as surety. Out of this, Rs 1 lakh was repaid. The accused telephoned Rajan on April 10 and asked him to come with the cheque they had given as surety to settle the rest of the amount. They took him in a car and strangulated him inside the vehicle. They kept the body inside the car till late night and later buried the body in a deserted field near Pallipad.
Earlier, police had questioned the accused multiple times. But they refused to admit the crime. The police found headway after getting a CCTV footage from a supermarket in Pallipad in which Rajan was seen getting into the car. The accused were arrested following the probe into to details of the car. The rented car was owned by the uncle of one of the accused.
The accused have remanded to judicial custody by Judicial First Class magistrate.
