Police get five days’ custody of Chendamangalam murder accused

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, North Paravur, on Monday (January 20) granted the Ernakulam Rural police five days’ custody of Rithu Jayan, 27, the alleged accused in the Chendamangalam triple murder case.

A 17-member investigation team led by Munambam Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Jayakrishnan is probing the case registered by the Vadakkekara police. Rithu is reportedly accused of beating to death Venu, 65, his wife Usha, 62, and their daughter, Vinisha, 32, in his neighbourhood in the Kizhakkumpuram ward of Chendamangalam panchayat on Thursday evening. Venu’s son-in-law Jithin, 35, who was critically injured, remains on ventilator support after a neurosurgery.

The police are reportedly interrogating the accused to determine the motive behind the crime. “Evidence collection is ongoing, and the accused will be taken to the crime scene once the remaining proceedings are completed,” the police said.

The police will need to make extensive security arrangements to take the accused to the crime scene due to public resentment against him. He was reportedly attacked by a mob when he was taken to court on Friday, and his house, which had been vacated by his parents after the incident, was ransacked on Sunday evening. Two individuals were allegedly arrested and later released on bail in connection with the attack on the house.

The accused and the target family had an acrimonious relationship, with the family reportedly lodging a complaint against him in November 2024 accusing him of verbally abusing women. In response, the accused’s father had allegedly filed a counter-petition on the same grounds.