Thiruvananthapuram: Police are intensifying the investigation into the Abhiram murder case in Srikaryam Pangappara. The investigation team plans to take the 17-year-old first accused into custody for detailed questioning and evidence collection. The key challenges faced by the investigation include the failure to locate crucial evidence related to the murder and contradictory statements given by other accused during questioning.
The second accused, Umar Muftar, and the third accused, Anand, who were taken into custody on Saturday, were produced before the court after completion of evidence-gathering processes. The court subsequently remanded both.
The police stated that neither of the two cooperated adequately during questioning and that the information revealed later differed from their initial statements. This has created a need to clarify matters concerning the murder's planning, execution methods, and evidence concealment.
So far, the investigation team has not recovered the mobile phones of Abhiram and the first accused, which are considered key evidence in the murder case. The belt believed to have been used in strangling Abhiram, along with the necklace and shirt he was wearing at the time, have also not been found. The team assesses that finding these items is critical to reconstructing the sequence of events and collecting evidence about the suspects' involvement.
The inconsistency in second accused Umar Muftar’s statements about where the mobile phones were discarded has further complicated the probe. Initially, Umar said Abhiram’s phone was thrown into the wrong-ear garden near the scene, and the first accused’s phone was discarded in another nearby water channel. Based on this, police conducted detailed searches in those areas. However, during subsequent questioning, Umar denied leaving the phones in the water channels and claimed they were thrown into a nearby forested area instead. Extensive searches of the forest and surrounding areas yielded no phones. Police are examining whether the accused are deliberately changing statements to mislead the investigation.
Acting on information that the belt suspected to have been used to strangle Abhiram was kept at Umar’s residence, police searched his home and nearby areas but did not find the belt. The lack of clear information from the accused regarding the hiding place of items believed to be used in the murder has been a setback. The investigation also includes examining whether evidence has been deliberately destroyed or relocated.
The team has received information that Umar used multiple mobile phones, although he had told police he did not possess two phones. Investigators are verifying the veracity of this statement and collecting information on communications made before and after the murder to understand the planning details. They hope that recovered mobile phones will provide insights into interactions among the suspects during the planning phase. If the phones remain missing, reliance on other technical evidence will increase.
The team is also considering taking Umar back into custody, given the contradictions in his statements and the importance of locating critical evidence.
The statement of Anand, the third accused, is pivotal. Anand told police that he was aware that the first and second accused had planned to kill Abhiram, but claimed he learned of Abhiram’s death only later. While he indicated prior knowledge of the murder plot, the extent of his awareness about the timing and involvement of others will be further clarified through ongoing investigation.
Anand was questioned at the Srikaryam Police Station, and Umar was interrogated at the office of the Assistant Police Commissioner in Kazhakoottam. Police are carefully analyzing their testimonies to identify contradictions and cross-check with other evidence.
The investigation team has decided to take the fourth accused, Aishwarya, into custody for detailed questioning and evidence collection. The goal is to determine what information she has about the planning and events before and after the murder.
Police expect that taking the 17-year-old first accused into custody will bring greater clarity to the actual sequence of events regarding the murder. Questioning him is also seen as instrumental in resolving contradictions in other accused persons’ statements and gathering information concerning the undiscovered mobile phones and other related items.
Recovering the belt, mobile phones, and other critical evidence remains the primary challenge for the investigation team. Given the repeated changes in the accused’s statements, police are focusing on collecting scientific and technical evidence rather than relying solely on testimonies to uncover the full truth of the incident.
The custody interrogation and subsequent evidence collection involving the first and fourth accused are expected to be crucial for progressing the murder case investigation.
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Original Malayalam report: Malayalam Daily News
