KANNIYAKUMARI: An advocate was murdered and his body was burnt allegedly by his client near Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Christopher (50) of Saralvilai near Kumarapuram. According to police sources, the client, identified as Esakimuthu (32) of Thirupathisaram, committed the crime as he was unsatisfied with Christopher’s legal representation in a patta case.
It is learnt that Esakimuthu’s late grandfather had written a will dividing his 99 cents of land among his six children, including Esakimuthu’s father. To obtain separate patta for each legal heir for their portion of the property, they had approached advocate Christopher, Esakimuthu’s acquaintance, in 2021.
On Wednesday, when the advocate visited Esakimuthu’s house at Thirupathisaram, the latter took him to a nearby coconut grove, and killed him using a sickle. Following which, Esakimuthu stuffed the body in a sack, and set it on fire near a tank in the Beemanagari area. He also parked Christopher’s vehicle near the gutted body, sources said.
Police have arrested Esakimuthu for the murder of advocate Christopher, allegedly over a dispute regarding land documents and court fees. Esakimuthu confessed to the Aralvaimozhi police that Christopher, who allegedly received a large sum of money from his family for court fees, did not make sufficient efforts to obtain the patta. Despite Esakimuthu’s requests, Christopher refused to return the original land documents, leading to the fatal confrontation.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Kanniyakumari District Advocates Associations condemned the murder of Christopher, a member of the Bhoothapandy Bar Association.
Police officers inspected the crime scene on Thursday and transferred his body to Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital.