KOCHI: Soon after the newly appointed City Police Commissioner said stringent action would be initiated to curtail criminal activities, a 33-year-old man was found dead on the roadside at Palachuvadu, near Vennala bridge in the city on Saturday. The body was found around 4 am with injuries on the forehead. Initially, the police officers suspected it to be a hit-and-run case. However, officers now suspect it to be a murder, based on the findings of the postmortem report. The deceased is Jibin Varghese, a resident of Chakkaraparambu.
According to the police, a tussle occurred on Friday night when Jibin visited the house of a woman with whom he had an illicit relationship. The relatives of the woman had earlier warned him to end the affair. On Friday, the relatives picked up a fight against him. Jibin, an electrician, is married and has a kid.
“Jibin had left his house by night. His scooter was found near the spot where his body was recovered. Hence, the police suspected it to be an accident. However, after further investigations revealed it was a murder,” said an officer.
A team led by Thrikkakara ACP is heading the investigation. The probe is currently under way and two of the woman’s relatives are in custody. City Police Commissioner S Surendran and other officers examined the spot. The Dog Squad and forensic experts also carried out examinations on the spot. The body was handed over to the relatives after conducting the postmortem examination.
Earlier, on February 13 the Aluva rural police fished out the body of an unidentified woman wrapped in several blankets with a heavy stone attached to it, from the Periyar river. But, the police have completely failed to trace the identity of the woman and the persons involved in the murder.