Chenthamara, the accused who was arrested on Tuesday (January 28, 2025) night for the double murder of Sudhakaran and his mother Lakshmi at Nenmara in Palakkad, Kerala, on Monday morning, had meticulously planned the crimes, according to Palakkad District Police Chief Ajit Kumar.

Sudhakaran died on the spot, while Lakshmi later succumbed to her injuries. Chenthamara, previously was an accused in the 2019 murder of Sudhakaran’s wife, Sajitha, and was recently out on bail.

Addressing the media, Mr. Kumar said Chenthamara had purchased the weapons and he himself had crafted the machete handle.

Following the murders, Chenthamara initially eluded capture by hiding in the nearby hills, leveraging his knowledge of the terrain to outmanoeuvre the police search.

However, the isolated location’s lack of provisions ultimately forced him to emerge, leading to his arrest by the police at night, Mr. Kumar added.

Crime motive

Chenthamara’s enmity towards Sudhakaran’s family was the motive for the crime.

The police said he has confessed to having committed the crimes. The police are verifying the details.

He is set to be presented before the Magistrate’s court on Wednesday afternoon.

The police will subsequently seek his custody for further investigation and crime scene reconstruction, said Mr. Kumar.