The police are groping in the dark over the missing of a woman from Kadakkarappally.
As per a lookout notice issued by the police last year, Bindhu, 46, had gone missing on August 10, 2013. Recently, the Crime Branch took over the probe from the local police but a breakthrough continued to elude the investigators.
“We have launched a probe and are in the process of verifying details. So far, the whereabouts of Bindhu remain unknown,” a police officer told The Hindu.
In May 2018, the police had launched an investigation based on a complaint by Bindhu’s brother P. Praveen Kumar of Padmanivas, Alumkal Junction, Kadakkarappally, alleging that his sister who owned assets worth crores of rupees had gone missing under mysterious circumstances a few years ago.
The complainant alleged that some real estate brokers had taken possession of her assets after forging documents. Following this, the then District Police Chief constituted three teams to probe the missing case and the land deals.
Initial probe revealed that a Pallippuram native, Sebastian, and another accused, T. Mini, alias Jaya, had sold assets owned by Bindhu after forging documents. According to the police, a power of attorney was registered at the sub-registrar office, Pattanakkad, in 2013. Mini had signed on the papers posing as Bindhu. Following this, a property owned by Bindhu worth ₹5 crore was sold to a Changanassery native, who later sold it to another person.
Mini surrendered before a local court, while the police nabbed Sebastian from Ernakulam. Both are now out on bail. The police had made three more arrests on charges of making fake documents, signing as witnesses on the documents used to strike the land deal and creating a fake driving licence in Bindhu’s name.
Further, a 47-year-old man, called for questioning by the police in connection with the case, had been found dead at his home in June 2018.