Neighbour Hacks Three Family Members To Death In Ernakulam Over Grudge; Accused Arrested

A neighbour allegedly hacked three family members to death--Venu (65), his wife Usha (62), and daughter-in-law Vinisha (32)--at Chendamangalam.

Ernakulam: Three members of a family, including two women, were hacked to death, allegedly by their neighbour, at Chendamangalam near North Paravur on Thursday evening. The deceased have been identified as Venu, 65, his wife Usha, 62, and their daughter-in-law Vinisha, 32. Vinisha's husband Jithin Bose, who sustained severe injuries, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi, according to the police.

The suspect, identified as Rithu Jayan, 28, has been taken into custody and recorded his arrest on Friday. Rithu was produced before a local court, which remanded him in judicial custody, the police said.

Dramatic scenes unfolded in the court premises after a section of local residents attempted to manhandle Jayan when brought to the court. However, the police managed the situation. The incident occurred on Thursday night when Jayan attacked Venu and his family using a heavy iron rod and a hatchet, the police said.

Venu, Usha, Vinisha and Jithin Bose sustained severe injuries in the attack. While Bose survived, the others succumbed to their injuries.

The accused Jayan said that his intention was only to attack Bose, who had recently arrived from the Gulf, the police said. When Venu and Usha tried to intervene to stop him from attacking Bose, he turned on them. When Vinisha ran towards him, he hit her on the head, they added.

It was also found that Jayan had been at odds with the neighbours for about a year and the family lodged a complaint against him with the police.

The police said that Jayan was under close surveillance, as he had been named in three criminal cases and was listed as a habitual offender at the Vadakkekara police station.

Meanwhile, police stated that the accused was neither under the influence of drugs nor suffering from any mental health issues. "We have not received any such information so far," a senior police officer said. Meanwhile, the funeral rites were conducted on Friday evening.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who visited the house of the deceased, said that insecurity prevailed in the area. The police received complaints from the family about the person, who has criminal antecedents, he said. Free treatment should be provided to the injured Bose. "Will approach the government for this. Otherwise, I would arrange treatment free of cost," Satheesan said.

The suspect fled the scene after the incident and surrendered before the police, officers said. Preliminary investigations suggest that a personal grudge held by the suspect against the family led to the murders, the police said.