THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 12 suspects including former District Collector have been arraigned by the crime branch pertaining to the property grabbing case in connection with serial deaths occurred at Kalady in Karamana.
The crime branch will investigate the property grabbing and suspected deaths of Koodam family members as separate cases. In the FIR of property grabbing case, the former caretaker Raveendran Nair who is also accused of the unnatural death of family member Jayamadhavan Nair is the prime suspect.
Sahadevan, another caretaker who served the family for 40 years, has been arraigned as the second suspect while the former Collector Mohandas is the tenth suspect.
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According to the crime branch, Mohandas is accused of involving in grabbing a part of the Koodam family property and registered in the name of his wife. "A detailed probe is on. We can't divulge more details now", a crime branch officer said.
A team led by Crime detachment SP Santhosh Kumar will soon record the statement of Raveendran Nair and Sahadevan. Meanwhile, the investigation team probing the death of Jayamadhavan Nair will seek forensic report of the post-mortem examination conducted as the complainants Prasannakumari and a social activist Anilkumar alleged foul play.
The probe team will also request the revenue and registration departments to verify and compile the property list of Koodam family to probe the property grabbing case. The statements of the complainants and relatives will also be recorded soon.
The investigation team likely to be expanded to include officers of higher ranks. At present, District Crime branch DCP Mohammed Arif is investigating the case.
The death of seven members of Koodam family at Kalady in Karamana in the city is under a cloud as a relative alleges serial murder on the lines of the sensational Koodathayi case. The district crime branch has registered an FIR and began a probe after confirming that two deaths occurred under suspicious circumstances.
The seven deaths of Koodam family took place over a period of 20 years. Koodam Gopinathan Nair, his wife Sumukhi Amma, daughter Jayasree, sons Balakrishnan, Jayaprakash, Gopinathan Nair's brothers' sons Unnikrishnan Nair and Jayamadhavan are the deceased. Jayamadhavan's death occurred in 2017 and the suspicion was triggered following his death.
According to the complaint filed by the relative, Prasannakumari, the deaths of Jayamadhavan and Jayaprakash are suspicious as the former caretaker of the family Raveendran Nair had grabbed the property of the family worth Rs 30 crore after forging a will in the name of a trust.