Kerala lawyer faces shocking allegations
Friends of murdered real estate broker Rajeevan tell police he had been receiving threats from advocate
The murder of a real estate broker this week at Pariyaram near Thrissur in Kerala had led to suspicions being raised by his friends and relatives that a gang had been paid to commit the murder and that a popular lawyer in the state had a hand in it.
The deceased was identified as V. Rajeevan, 43, a native of Angamaly, whose body was found in a building owned by the SD Convent at Pariyaram, and early indications are that he was suffocated to death.
Rajeevan’s friends have informed police that he had told them about threats from a senior lawyer, and that Rajeevan had filed a petition with the court in that regard.
The friends told local media that the dispute was related to a real estate deal in Palakkad district, and that the lawyer had paid an advance of Rs5 million (Dh281,374) to Rajeevan. The deal fell through, and the advance money was apparently not returned.
Rajeevan had also reportedly complained to the director general of police and the chief minister about the threats.
The Thrissur rural superintendent of police Yatish Chandra said at least four people were suspected to have been involved in the murder. “Rajeevan was abducted near the building in which his body was found. The death occurred owing to strangulation and smothering. There was an injury behind the head, but this was not the cause for death”, Chandra said.
The director general of police has ordered the formation of a special investigation team to probe the murder. Police believe that there was a conspiracy before the murder was committed. So far four people have been taken into custody, and police think two more people may have been involved in the plot.