A 23-year-old walked into a police station in a suburb of Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on Monday and made a confession that sent the force into a tizzy. Affan told the cops that he had killed six people, including his mother, grandmother, girlfriend and 13-year-old brother.
As the police began investigating, they found that Affan had indeed brutally attacked six people, but his mother – a cancer patient – had survived. She has been admitted to a hospital, where her condition is said to be critical.
Police officials said Affan travelled to three houses in Venjaramoodu to carry out the brutal murders and has been changing his statements frequently. “Affan keeps saying that his father, who owns a shop in Dubai, had run up a debt of Rs 75 lakh and he was also in financial trouble because of this. He said no one agreed to help him, but it is not clear how his girlfriend fits into that picture,” said an official.
Police said Affan first attacked his mother and girlfriend, who was also at his home, with a sharp object and then killed his 13-year-old brother with a hammer. Neighbours said the 23-year-old was a good-natured and soft-spoken person and the murders, especially of his 13-year-old brother, had shocked them.
A woman who runs a tea shop near Affan’s home said he loved his brother and used to take care of him. “I cannot believe he did it. He was a good boy. There is not a single bad thing we can say about him. Saw his (accused) younger brother yesterday afternoon also. We did not know what had happened till the police arrived,” the woman was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
After leaving his home, Affan went to the house of his paternal uncle and allegedly killed him and his wife following an argument. He also went to his grandmother’s house and killed her.
He then walked into the Venjaramoodu police station and surrendered.
“His mother, who is a cancer patient, was also attacked and she is critical. Affan has given a statement that there was an argument at his house over his father’s debt and that led him to decide that no one should live. He said he approached his mother, grandmother and relatives for help, but no one was willing to come forward to do so. He has also confessed to stealing his mother’s necklace and said that he wanted to die by suicide after committing the murders,” an official said.
(With inputs from SP Babu)
