Kerala mass murder accused killed girlfriend as ‘she will be alone without him’

Kerala mass murder accused killed girlfriend as ‘she will be alone without him’

Kerala mass murder accused killed girlfriend as ‘she will be alone without him’ ByHT News Desk | Written by Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao Mar 02, 2025 12:02 PM IST Share Via Copy Link After the murders, Afan surrendered at Venjaramoodu police station. Later, he attempted suicide by consuming poison and was hospitalised on Friday.

Afan, the 23-year-old accused in the Kerala mass murder case in Venjaramoodu, who allegedly killed five people, told police that he murdered his girlfriend because “she will not be able to live alone” without him, police officials said as new details about the case emerged on Saturday

The accused surrendered before the Venjaramoodu police on Monday (HT_PRINT)

After committing the crimes, he walked into the Venjaramoodu police station and surrendered. He later attempted suicide by consuming poison and was admitted to a hospital on Friday. According to the police, his condition has improved, and they have interrogated and formally arrested him. The Kerala police stated that Afan’s condition is stable and that his arrest has been officially recorded.

On Friday, police revealed that financial liabilities were believed to be the motive behind the brutal killings in Venjaramoodu, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram.

Earlier that day, officials stated that the accused had accumulated a debt of ₹65 lakh from 14 creditors and had initially planned to die by suicide along with his mother and brother. On February 24, Afan allegedly murdered his 88-year-old grandmother, 13-year-old brother, girlfriend, paternal uncle, and the uncle’s wife.

ANI quoted Thiruvananthapuram rural district police chief Sudarsan K S as saying, “The family was having a financial crisis, he had borrowed ₹40,000 from a financial institution...the accused had given a statement that the family was planning to die by suicide but it is not confirmed (if his statement is right or not). The accused is alright now, but the doctor said that it would take 2-3 days for him to get discharged...mother is also recovering; she can speak, but she is unable to recollect what happened. The financial crisis was one of the reasons why he committed this crime...his blood samples have been sent for medical test...accused will be arrested and he will be remanded and he will be taken into Police custody for further investigation.”

The accused’s father, who returned from abroad a day earlier, dismissed financial liabilities as a motive, telling reporters that “we did not have any big financial liabilities,” according to news agency PTI.

"It was not an issue in our family," he added, stating that he was unaware of what led to the killings and that it was up to the police to investigate.

Afan had also brutally attacked his mother, who survived and is currently receiving treatment for her injuries.

The 23-year-old was arrested on Thursday and remanded to judicial custody until March 13 in connection with his grandmother’s murder.

The murders took place in three different locations under the jurisdictions of two police stations—Venjaramoodu and Pangode. His arrest on Thursday was recorded for the crime committed under Pangode police station limits, with authorities stating that arrests for the other cases will be recorded later.

After carrying out the killings, Afan voluntarily appeared at the Venjaramoodu police station and confessed to the crimes.