KOLLAM: The investigation team probing the Uthra murder case on Monday arrested Surendran Panicker, her father-in-law, after subjecting him to detailed interrogation at his Parakode house near Adoor. Officers said Panicker confessed that he was aware that his son Sooraj had brought snakes to the house earlier. He also showed a location in a rubber plantation near the house where the investigation team found 38 sovereigns of gold buried in two packets.
The Crime Branch team took the cue from Sooraj’s confession that his father knew about his activities. The team is likely to take Sooraj’s mother and sister into custody on Tuesday and arraign them. They have been asked to appear at the Crime Branch office on Tuesday.
There were contradictions in the statements given by the family, said Crime Branch DSP A Ashokan who heads the team. The evidence collection and questioning went on late into the night. Panicker had been evasive during questioning during the previous visit by the probe team. Punalur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court’s decision to extended the police custody of Sooraj and Suresh for five days on Saturday had given the sleuths ample time to make preparations.