Pangappara Abhiram murder case: police suspect double murder plot

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The Thiruvananthapuram City police investigating the murder of 17-year-old Abhiram in Pangappara suspect that the accused had initially planned a double murder.

According to the police, the murder was part of a premeditated conspiracy that was allegedly aimed at killing both Abhiram and another person. However, the second intended victim, Abhiram’s friend, was not brought to the location. This allegedly triggered the violent attack on Abhiram.

The disappearance of several Instagram chats belonging to the victim has added another layer of mystery to the investigation. The investigation team found that several messages had disappeared from Abhiram’s Instagram account.

Cyber experts are examining how the chats were deleted and whether the missing conversations are connected to the murder. It is suspected that the access to the Instagram account was shared with another female friend. Under such circumstances, the investigators are examining the possible roles of such people in the alleged murder conspiracy.

Police sources maintain that the alleged motive appears to be connected to a relationship dispute. The 17-year-old prime accused was allegedly motivated by resentment towards his former girlfriend, who had reportedly become close to Abhiram’s friend. Social media posts and photographs featuring the former girlfriend and her new friend are believed to have provoked the accused.

The police are also investigating the involvement of Ananda, the third accused in the case. Investigators suspect that her Instagram account was used to contact Abhiram and lure him to the location.

A 16-member special investigation team has been formed to probe the case. The investigation is being led by the Sreekaryam Circle Inspector under the supervision of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber City, with cyber experts assisting in the examination of digital evidence.

Meanwhile, the District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) has submitted a report to the Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, stating that there was no lapse on the part of the police in handling the case.

According to the report, Abhiram’s relatives approached the police station at around 10.52 p.m. on Sunday to report him missing. The murder had allegedly taken place before the complaint was received. Besides, the police reportedly began investigating immediately and took the prime accused into custody that night. However, considering the legal restrictions applicable to a minor, the accused was subsequently released into the custody of his parents before apprehending him the next day.

Abhiram’s mortal remains were cremated at the Santhitheeram crematorium in Kazhakuttam. A large number of people gathered at his home to pay their final respects.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.