Kozhikode, April 14 (IANS) Disturbing details have emerged in the murder of a 16-year-old girl in Kerala’s Kozhikode, in what police suspect to be a revenge-driven crime, followed by the subsequent death of the accused, her relative Adnan.
The incident, which unfolded at East Moozhikkal near here in the early hours on Tuesday, has left both investigators and local residents shocked due to its brutality and the circumstances under which it occurred.
According to preliminary findings, Nasreena was strangled to death using a shawl inside her bedroom on the upper floor of her house.
At the time of the incident, her mother, grandmother, sister, and brother were present in the house, unaware of the crime taking place.
Police have also received information that the accused, Adnan, had also attempted to suffocate the girl’s grandmother during the attack.
Adnan, a native of Kulathoor and a relative of the victim, was later found dead under mysterious circumstances in another room of the house.
Initially, family members had locked him inside a room and rushed Nasreena to the hospital.
However, upon returning, they reportedly found him dead with cello tape wrapped around his face, raising further questions about the sequence of events.
Investigators believe Adnan had entered the house around midnight using a duplicate key he had acquired earlier.
He had previously lived with the family but was asked to leave six months ago after being suspected of a series of thefts.
Locals and relatives indicate that disputes over missing money and Nasreena’s strong opposition to his behaviour may have fueled a deep-seated grudge.
It is suspected that Adnan carried this resentment and executed the crime while the family was asleep.
After killing the girl, he is believed to have died by suicide in the house itself.
The family became fully aware of the tragedy only around 5 a.m., after which both bodies were shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Police have collected CCTV footage from the house and are investigating how Adnan, who lived nearly 15 km away, managed to reach the location unnoticed.
Statements from relatives are being recorded to piece together the full sequence of events.
Chevayur police have completed inquest proceedings, but several aspects of the case remain unclear.
–IANS
sg/vd