Kochi: 10-year-old Ritsi John, who was gruesomely murdered (allegedly by a mentally ill) neighbour on Monday morning at Pullepaddy, was excited over his ‘First Holy Communion’ scheduled for this Saturday. His family had gone shopping to buy a suitable dress for the occasion on Sunday. However, fate had other plans. His mother, Lini, cannot come to terms with the turn of events and was seen weeping uncontrollably repeating the same question when the boy’s body was brought to the house at noon after the autopsy. “Why did you insist on buying the wristwatch?,” she could be heard wailing.
According to relatives, upon purchasing the clothes, little Ritsi insisted on having a wristwatch for the big occasion. His father John, an autoriskshaw driver, finally gave in and fulfilled his son’s wish. “Ritsi and his brother Eble’s ‘First Holy communion’ event was scheduled to be held together this Saturday. The boy had personally invited all the local residents for the event. But they have now turned up to condole his death,” another relative, Jerry, said crying.
His friend Arjun, a Class V student, even met Ritsi just before the alleged cold-blooded murder at 7 am on Monday morning. “He was just returning from the shop after buying eggs and a packet of cheetos. I smiled and he smiled back. Usually he takes the colony bylane to reach his house but he was afraid of a dog in one of the houses which prompted him to take this lane,” the gloomy-looking boy said.
The boys used to play games together on most days and were afraid of the attacker Aji. “On many occasions he used to watch us play. We saw him lying unconscious in an inebriated state on numerous occasions but never went near him,” says Arjun. Meanwhile, a relative of the accused claimed psychiatrist Dr Lakshmi Mohan, who died recently in Thrissur due to aspiration when food choked her respiratory system, was among those who treated Aji, when he was admitted to the Government Mental Health Centre, West Fort, Thrissur.
“He was admitted to the centre in December last on the direction of cops after his mother gave a complaint to the police about his violent behaviour. Though he was discharged in February, he was taken to the hospital many times till last week,” the relative pleading anonymity said.
