KOCHI: When the body of a 42-year-old studio owner was found in a canal at Chelad near Kothamangalam, the police initially believed that the victim must have met with a fatal accident. However, the autopsy done on Eldhose Paul, owner of Seven Arts photo studio, whose body was found on Monday morning, established that he had died of a head injury caused by a blunt object.
The fact that his mobile phone was nowhere to be seen and that the ignition of his scooter had been found turned off heightened the suspicion of the police. Subsequently, a detailed inquiry by a special investigation team set up by district Rural SP K Karthick revealed that it was planned murder. Eldhose aka Kochappa, 27, his father Joy, 58, and mother Molly, 55, of Pindimana, were arrested in connection with the incident.
The accused had hit Eldhose on the head and left him near the canal along with his scooter to make it appear like an accident. The probe into the missing phone gave the breakthrough as the deceased’s family told the police that Eldhose had told them that he was on his way to Kochappa’s house to collect the loaned amount, said police.
The last tower location of the victim’s phone also showed his presence there. Police said Eldhose had given Kochappa a sum of Rs 3 lakh. He had been reportedly demanding his money back. Kochappa summoned him to his house under the pretext of settling the money dispute on Sunday night. Both the father and the son hit him on the head with an axe handle at their home.
The duo allegedly took the body to a nearby canal on the victim’s scooter. The body was abandoned in the canal along with the scooter to make it look as if the victim met with an accident and died from his injuries. Later, Molly burnt the axe handle used in the murder and the victim’s mobile phone. When officers came to collect the statement of Kochappa, he claimed that he returned a sum of Rs 2.25 lakh to Eldose.
“He intended to portray the incident as somebody attacked Eldhose and decamped with the money while he was returning home on his scooter. The last call received on Eldhose’s mobile phone was from Kochappa. During interrogation, he confessed to having murdered Eldhose. Later, parents of Kochappa were arrested,” said an officer with the investigation team.