The Chengamanad police on Saturday arrested a person on the charge of murdering his friend-turned-foe at the victim’s house at Kurumassery on the night of August 27.
Vinesh aka Kannan, 39, of Kurumassery was arrested for allegedly murdering Jayaprakash aka JP using an axe handle around 10.30 p.m. on Thursday.
According to the police, both the victim and the accused were thick friends for over five years before the relation strayed of late. In fact, the accused was staying at the victim’s house before he moved out a month ago only to return a week ago.
“The accused alleged that the victim had started avoiding him on finding new friends despite living on his money. On the fateful day, the new friends of the victim dropped in at the home, and they ganged up and humiliated the accused who stormed out fuming. Once the friends left, the accused returned through the back door with an axe handle and attacked him. He then left the home and dumped the object used for killing near a chicken stall at Kurumassery,” the police said.
The victim died from the blow, and his body was left untraced in the home for nearly 24 hours before one of his relatives found it and informed the police on Friday evening. “The accused had boasted around about how he gave the deceased a sound beating. However, people did not take it very seriously, since the deceased used to pick quarrels in the past,” the police said.
The accused was trying to flee to Mysuru when he was tracked down and arrested. The police had registered a case, invoking IPC 302 (murder). He will be produced before the magistrate after COVID-19 test. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was sent for the test.