THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ending days of search, the Kattakkada police on Monday arrested Priyaranjan, 42, who is accused of fatally mowing down Class 10 student Adishekhar, 15, with his car at Poovachal in Thiruvananthapuram on August 30.
Priyaranjan was arrested from Kuzhithurai in Tamil Nadu, nearly two weeks after the incident on August 30. The police had formed four teams to track him down. Priyaranjan allegedly ran Adishekhar over with his electric car after the teen allegedly reprimanded him for urinating near a temple in the locality.
“There is a witness account of Priyaranjan and the boy arguing after the teen told him not to urinate near a temple. This happened a few days before the incident. He seemingly nursed a grudge against Adishekhar following this,” said an officer, adding, “We will question Priyaranjan to ascertain whether there was any other provocation for killing the boy.”
Though their initial assessment was that negligent driving led to Adishekhar’s death, the police on Sunday declared the incident as a cold-blooded murder after checking CCTV camera footage from the area.
As per the visuals, Adishekhar was riding a bicycle with a friend in front of his house on August 30 when Priyaranjan sped towards him in the car, knocked him down and ran him over. The teen died by the time he was taken to the hospital.
Adishekhar’s family members had raised doubts over his death and submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.