The Perumala junction near Venjaramoodu witnessed an outpouring of grief when the bodies of those allegedly killed by 23-year-old Affan was brought for public homage on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: TH

The Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police are continuing to piece together the disturbing events that led to the brutal killings of five people, including a young boy, allegedly carried out by 23-year-old A.R. Affan.

The murders took place across three separate locations in a span of just eight hours, sending shockwaves through the community.

Nearly two days after the crime, the investigators were still unable to determine a clear motive behind the unprecedented violence in which Affan murdered four members of his family and his girlfriend, while severely injuring his mother, Shemi.

The post-mortem examinations of the deceased were completed on Tuesday at Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram.

The victims – Affan’s paternal grandmother, Salma Beevi, younger brother, Ahsan, uncle Latheef, aunt Shahida, and girlfriend Farsana – were all found to have suffered blunt force trauma, consistent with multiple hammer strikes to the head, face, neck and chest.

The victims were laid to rest on Tuesday. Affan’s family members were buried at the Thazhe Pangode Juma Masjid near Kallara, close to their ancestral home, while Farsana’s funeral was held at the Kattumurakkal Juma Masjid, near Chirayinkeezhu. Her body was brought to her father Sunil’s house in Puthur, Venjaramoodu, before the funeral.

Shemi’s condition remains critical in a private hospital in Venjaramoodu. While she briefly spoke with a relative and a local body member in the intensive care unit, the police have not been able to record her statement yet. During the brief interaction, Shemi asked about her son Ahsan and expressed a desire to see him. She has not been informed about the deaths of her family members, sources said.

Affan, who is being treated at MCH for suspected rat poison ingestion, is in a stable condition. A magistrate recorded his statement late on Monday.

Investigators suspect that Affan first attacked Shemi at their house in Perumala after she refused to give him money. He then went on a killing spree, murdering his grandmother in her house in Pangode, his uncle and aunt at S.N. Puram, before returning home to kill his brother and girlfriend.

While Affan claimed that financial struggles within the family drove him to violence, the police remain cautious about accepting his explanation. He will be taken into custody for interrogation after his discharge from the hospital.

S. Syamsundar, Inspector General of Police, South Zone, said a special investigation team would be constituted to probe the case. He cautioned it was premature to draw conclusions. “Preliminary findings suggest that a hammer was used [to commit the murders,” he said.

Regarding speculations that Affan may have been under the influence of narcotics, the senior official said the blood test results were awaited. He also clarified that there was no evidence to suggest that Affan had any external help in carrying out the murders.

Currently, the investigation is being led by District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram Rural) Sudarsan K.S. Three cases have been registered at Venjaramoodu and Pangode police stations in connection with the murders.