Man’s body bearing multiple stab injuries found in vegetable stall in Kerala

The body of an elderly man with multiple stab wounds was found inside a vegetable shop at Illickal market at Kumbalangi on Saturday morning.

The police have taken a suspect into custody and launched a murder investigation. The suspect is being questioned.

The deceased, who went by the names  ‘Mayin’ and ‘Annan’ was from somewhere near Palani in Tamil Nadu. Reportedly, he had been making a living near the market as a cobbler for the last five years.

The body was found around 7 am by a vegetable vendor from Palluruthy when he arrived to open his shop. Finding the victim in a pool of blood, he alerted the police, who cordoned off the area.

According to the police, he had been allowed to sleep in front of the vegetable shop for several years. A team comprising an Assistant Commissioner of Police Deputy Superintendent of Police, and forensic experts examined the crime scene.

As per preliminary investigation, a fatal stab to the abdomen probably caused the death during the early hours of Saturday. The exact time of death would be known only after the post-mortem examination, said police sources.

The victim has sustained multiple injuries, which have led police to suspect it to be a murder. The police continue to gather evidence and verify the victim’s personal details.

CCTV footage from the neighbourhood of the market helped the police to track down the suspect from near the market itself. The detainee is reportedly a local worker known to the victim and is suspected to be a long-term substance addict. Police suspect that a dispute over ganja consumption may have led to the alleged murder.

The suspect is yet to be formally arrested and is being interrogated by senior officers to zero in on the possible motive and sequence of events leading to the murder. The police are trying to trace the victim’s relatives in Tamil Nadu.