Prime suspect’s houses searched

Thiruvananthapuram: Police team probing the Munambam illegal immigration case on Wednesday conducted searches at two residences owned by one of the key suspects in the case.
Both houses of Sreekanthan, who purchased the boat used by the immigrants, were found to be locked. While he lived in the house at Chavadinada, the house at Nandankuzhi was occupied by his sister and family, who were also missing.

Local residents said Sreekanthan and wife rarely stayed in the house. They had told the neighbours that they were into textile and real estate businesses. Their daughter and Vanitha’s mother were the permanent residents in the house. The daughter was a Class III student at a local school here.

The search team recovered a passport, several documents and a few mobile phones from the houses. The police also confiscated the hard disk of surveillance cameras installed at the house.

The local residents alleged that unknown people used to visit the house at odd hours. Police said that Sreekanthan has gone into hiding with his family after he fled Thiruvananthapuram on January 7 night.

“We have identified all people involved in the case and have found their whereabouts. It has been confirmed that around more than 50 people have gone in the boat and it was Sreekanthan who organized the entire operation, including buying the boat, coordinating the migrants’ travel and stay. We are trying to trace people who helped him,” said a police officer.

“Primary interrogation of the boat’s co-owners Anil Kumar and Jithin Antony (one who sold the boat) found that they were unaware of the operation. Though Kumar was Sreekanthan’s friend, he used Kumar to buy the boat using his contacts in Kochi,” he said. Kumar, whose house was also searched, is still in custody. The police are yet to know the whereabouts of Selvam, a native of Colachel, who reportedly assisted Sreekanthan.

(With inputs from Kochi)