The City Police investigating the Kaithamukku murder have concluded that the incident was a premeditated attack. Official sources pointed out that assailants had allegedly planned the assault in advance by procuring weapons, arranged a vehicle and coordinated the crime before fatally attacking the victim, Vishakh. All four accused -- Pradeep Kumar, Vineeth, Rasim and Sivaprasad -- were formally arrested on Monday.

Alexander Thankachan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Shangumughom, said Pradeep, the prime accused, and the deceased were relatives as well as neighbours, and had been embroiled in a prolonged property dispute that had led to repeated clashes between the two families. It is suspected that a minor verbal altercation involving one of Vishakh’s relatives two days prior to the murder acted as the immediate trigger for the attack.

Last year, Vishakh was booked under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly attempting to murder Pradeep in connection with the same dispute. He was remanded in judicial custody and was later released on bail.

The investigation team took Vineeth, the second accused, to Pulayanarkotta for evidence collection on Monday. The gang had abandoned their getaway vehicle at the location the previous night before attempting to flee. Based on Vineeth’s statement, the police recovered four machetes allegedly used in the murder from a nearby forested area, where they had been wrapped and discarded after the attack. Officials said two of the recovered weapons appeared to be new.

Attempt to mislead

The ACP also said that the accused had allegedly attempted to mislead investigators by leaving a different set of weapons inside the abandoned car to create the impression that they had been used in the murder. The actual weapons, he pointed out, had been disposed of separately. In all, seven weapons have been recovered during the investigation thus far.

CCTV footage capturing the assault has surfaced and is expected to form a crucial part of the evidence in the case. The police stated that all four accused got out of the vehicle and participated in the attack that resulted in Vishakh’s death.

According to the police, Pradeep has seven criminal cases against him, including an attempt-to-murder case, though most were registered before 2013. Vineeth is already an accused in another murder case, making this his second criminal case. Both Rasim and Sivaprasad are habitual offenders, who have been invoked in five and 12 criminal cases, respectively.

Meanwhile, Vishakh’s family has accused the police of failing to act despite allegedly receiving repeated warnings about threats to his life. His mother reportedly had lodged complaints with the Vanchiyoor police and the District Police Chief in March. She had also requested police protection for her son.

Dismissing the allegations, the police stated that the complaints had then been thoroughly examined and no evidence was found at the time to substantiate the allegations. Besides, the complainant’s mother had submitted a signed statement that stated that there was no threat and that no further action was required, official sources said.

Published - July 27, 2026 10:03 pm IST