KOCHI: The mystery surrounding the appearance of a man’s body on the terrace of a house at Pothanikkad near Kothamangalam appears to have been solved with the arrest of the house owner.
Sajeevan, 45, Kattuchirayil, Manikapeedika, Pothanikkad, owner of the house, was arrested in connection with the incident in which the body of Prasad, a resident of Mavudi, Pulinthanam, near Pothanikkad was discovered. Sajeevan will be produced before the court on Monday.
Officers said Sajeevan confessed to Prasad’s murder following a drunken brawl. “Sajeevan joined Prasad for a drink on Friday night. They brought two bottles and finished one of them. Prasad demanded more liquor, but when Sajeevan refused he verbally abused him. This provoked Sajeevan who struck Prasad on the head with the butt of his air gun resulting in the latter suffering grievous injuries to the head, jaw, and forehead. Sajeevan was subjected to detailed interrogation and his arrest was recorded by Sunday evening.
Sajeevan was taken into custody on Saturday itself. According to the police, Prasad was found lying in a pool of blood on the terrace of Sajeevan’s house, with a deep gash on the head. Prasad, a daily wage worker, had been working as a helper at the poultry farm owned by Sajeevan for the past few months. The body was found around 7.30 am on Saturday.
A partially damaged air pistol owned by Sajeevan was recovered from the terrace.
“Earlier Sajeevan stated he had dropped Prasad off at the latter’s house after they had a drink. Since Prasad agreed to work at his farm in Rajakkad, he went to his residence to pick him up, but the house was locked. Later, a search led to the recovery of Prasad’s body on the terrace. However, during detailed interrogation Sajeevan disclosed that he made up the story to torpedo the probe,” said an officer.