KOTTAYAM: It has now emerged that the chilling murder of a couple at their residence in Thiruvathukkal in Kottayam occurred just weeks after the CBI formally launched a probe into the mysterious death of their only son, Gowtham in 2017.
The timing of the murder has raised serious questions and led investigators to examine if the couple’s renewed legal push and the subsequent probe by the central agency could have triggered the deadly attack.
Gowtham, an engineering graduate and former IT firm owner, was found dead inside a bloodied car near the railway tracks close to Carithas Hospital in Kottayam seven years ago.
Though initially ruled a suicide, Vijayakumar and Meera had long maintained that their son’s death was the result of foul play.
Dissatisfied with the initial investigation by the local police and the Crime Branch, the couple approached the Kerala High Court, which ultimately directed the CBI to intervene. The agency registered an FIR and began its inquiry on March 21, 2025.
This has prompted investigators to explore deeper links between the two tragedies.
The crime scene of the couple's murder, meanwhile, suggested a planned and violent assault: the back door had been broken using a grinding stone, the CCTV hard disk was missing, and a billhook (kodali), suspected to be the murder weapon, was recovered from the house. The couple's pet dogs were found sedated, further pointing to premeditation.
With the couple now dead under such grim circumstances, questions about the motive behind their murder have taken a new turn.
While police had initially suspected personal enmity -- focusing on Amit, a former worker with a history of theft and behavioural issues -- investigators are now actively considering whether the murder was linked to their pursuit of justice in their son’s case.
Kottayam Superintendent of Police Shahul Hameed confirmed that all possible angles are being explored, including the potential that the couple’s murder was meant to intimidate or silence.
“The timing cannot be ignored. We are coordinating with the CBI to assess whether there’s any overlap in persons of interest or emerging leads.”
Amit, who had recently been released from prison after serving time for theft at the same residence, is under surveillance.
Police believe the attack was carefully planned, given the missing CCTV footage and signs that the pets were deliberately sedated.
The broader implications of the crime are still unfolding.
As both state police and central agencies dig deeper, the community in Kottayam is grappling with what now appears to be a haunting pattern -- one tragedy followed by another, seven years apart, with the same family at the centre.
The couple's daughter is settled in the United States and is expected to reach Kottayam by April 23.
T K Vijayakumar, 70, a prominent businessman and owner of Indraprastham Auditorium in Thirunakkara, and his wife Meera, 67, were found dead inside their home on April 22.