Kalpetta: Police has arrested a habitual thief in the sensational twin murder case at Vellamunda in Mananthavady.
Kozhikode Thottilpalam native Vishwan alias Viswanathan (42), according to the police, had committed the murder during a burglary attempt.
The newlywed Ummar (28) and wife Fathima (19) were found dead at their home at 12th Mile, Makkiyad.
Eight sovereigns of gold and the mobile phone of the wife were missing.
A special investigation team led by Mananthavady DySP K.K. Devasia was set up to probe the case.
Police had first suspected migrant labourers and examined CCTV visuals and close to 300 footmarks.
Though burglary motive was suspected, the presence of earrings and ring on the body of Fathima and currency notes in the pocket of Ummar posed a puzzle.
The breakthrough came when the SIT began to trace the lost mobile phone. Though it's switched off, police reached the culprit by following the tower location and captured him. Vishwan killed the duo by thrashing on their head with a lethal weapon while taking gold from the cupboard. Scared by the death, he fled the scene.
The couple had married just three months ago. The police later recovered the sold-out gold and the weapon.
The case created much furore with the UDF observing a harthal in Vellamunda and Thondarnadu panchayats protesting police inaction.
