KOCHI: The Odisha native who absconded after killing two migrant workers at a sawmill in Muvattupuzha was nabbed in a joint operation of Kerala Police and the Odisha Police on Tuesday.
Gopal Malik, 22, of Odisha, is suspected of murdering his friends, Mohanto, 40, and Deepankar Basumma, 37, natives of Assam, by slitting their throats. He was arrested at Raiguda railway station.
The probe team had been tracking his mobile tower location. The Aluva Rural SP had been coordinating with top police officials in Odisha after finding that he had returned to his home state.
The team is interrogating the accused and it is learned that he has confessed to the crime. According to the probe team, Gopal will be produced before a local court in Odisha. Later, he will be brought to Kochi for further questioning.
Though preliminary probe indicated that the murders were committed by Gopal alone, a detailed investigation will be held to ascertain whether any other persons were involved in the incident. The police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the crime.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the murders might have been premeditated, as the suspect had booked train ticket well in advance. “We have found that the accused had booked train ticket long before the incident occurred. While it may not be sufficient to definitively establish premeditation, we cannot rule out this possibility,” the source stated.