THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four members of a family, including a couple and their daughter, were found brutally murdered in their house at Nanthancode here early Sunday morning. Police have issued a look-out notice for the couple’s son, Cadell Jeansen Raja, who is missing.
Three of the corpses were found in charred condition, and the fourth, bound in bed sheets. Three of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. Police, based on circumstantial evidence, have assumed the deceased to be Professor A Rajathangam, who formerly taught history at Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam; his wife Dr Jean Padma C, former cardiologist, General Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram; and their daughter Caroline. The fourth body, found wrapped in bed sheets, is that of Lalitha, Jean’s visually handicapped aunt, who lived in an out-house in the same compound.
“The bodies are at least two days old. DNA samples have been sent to the Forensics Lab for confirming the identities of the charred bodies,” IG (Thiruvananthapuram Range) Manoj Abraham said. Museum SI G Sunil said the police have constituted a special team to investigate the case and issued a look-out notice for Cadell.
Neighbours had alerted the Fire and Rescue Services late Saturday night after seeing flames emerge from the house. Although a short circuit was suspected initially, the police had soon come across the three burnt corpses in a bathroom and another bound in bed sheets in a second bathroom upstairs. Investigators have recovered a half-burnt dummy made of cloth and iron bars and two machetes and an axe with traces of blood on them.
The murders must have taken place sometime in the past two-three days as the body of Lalitha, recovered intact, had started to decompose.
Cadell was reportedly seen scaling a wall on Saturday night and escape. He reportedly had burn marks on his foot. Police suspect Cadell planned to cut up all the bodies and set fire to the house to make it look like all five members of the household, including himself, had died in the fire. However, the plan had gone awry as the blaze went out of control.
Caroline had completed medical studies in China. Cadell, who had completed his studies in Australia, had rejoined the family in 2009 and was working from home. The autopsies were completed by Sunday evening.