Kerala 'missing' man case: Store owner’s tip proves vital in tracing Noushad
IDUKKI: Pathanamthitta native Noushad would have stayed untraced had A R Rajesh, a grocery store owner in Thommankuthu in Idukki, not checked the local newspaper on Friday. When he saw the photo of the missing man in the daily, Rajesh was surprised. The person in the picture bore a striking resemblance to a youngster who used to visit his store occasionally.
Wasting no time, Rajesh informed K Jaimon, his neighbour and relative who also happened to be the senior civil police officer with the Thodupuzha police station, of his find.
Soon, Jaimon reached the store. Rajesh told him that he had seen Noushad coming to the store with his employer Santhosh several times. He also arranged Santhosh’s contact number and gave it to Jaimon.
In the probe that followed, the Thodupuzha police identified Noushad. He had been working at Kuzhimattom on a 5-acre property owned by Santhosh.
“Since he had come to the store a few times, Noushad’s face flashed through my mind immediately when I saw the photograph in the newspaper. To confirm my suspicion, I checked all of today’s newspapers,” Rajesh told reporters.
He said he did not have any acquaintance with either Noushad or Santhosh as the latter had bought the land at Kuzhimattom just two-and-a-half years ago.
“I am happy to have provided police a vital clue in the case, which had been the talking point in the state for the past couple of days,” Rajesh said.
Meanwhile, Noushad told reporters that he learnt of Afsana’s statement – that she had killed and buried him – only after the police told him about it on Friday.
“Afsana and a few other people brought by her used to assault me physically. I left home fearing for my life,” Noushad said. He said though he wished to see his two children, he was scared to go back home.