After a prolonged search for a rape accused, the City police have found that he has been murdered.
An investigation team was formed earlier this year to apprehend 32-year-old Renju Krishnan of Adoor for his alleged role in an online sex racket and in cases pertaining to sexual abuse of minors. Four persons, identified as Abhilash, 31, of Aruvippara, Deepak, 27, of Vembayam, Harilal, 37, of Attipra, and Shahir, 19, of Akkulam, were arrested on Thursday in the probe led by Assistant Commissioner (Control Room) V. Suresh Kumar.
District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram city) P. Prakash said the accused, who were also part of the sex racket, had harboured enmity towards Renju for his alleged role in sexually abusing two minors related to them.
“Upon learning that Renju was hiding in a lodge near the medical college here, Abhilash, Deepak and Harilal abducted him on April 24. They force-fed him alcohol and took him to secluded places in Vattappara and Neyyattinkara, where they grievously wounded him. After ensuring his death, Deepak dropped the others at Abhilash’s rented house at Karikkakom and picked Shahir from Ulloor before heading for the Kerala-Karnataka border via Mahe,” Mr. Prakash said.
They dumped the body in a forest area. The body was found three days later by the Karnataka police that registered a case of unnatural death. During the same time, following the long absence of Renju, the Thiruvananthapuram City police had placed under surveillance the gang members, who had been Renju’s accomplices in the alleged sex racket. Despite abandoning their mobile phones to remain incommunicado, they were apprehended from a homestay in Munnar.