The Thiruvananthapuram city district crime branch arrested Raveendran Nair, 60, the former caretaker and estate manager of the Koodathil family at Karamana, in connection with the murder of Jayamadhavan Nair, the last heir of the family.
Jayamadhavan’s death on April 12, 2017 triggered the prolonged investigation into the seven suspicious deaths of the family in Karamana.
His death was initially reported to be caused by a fall from his bed.
Post-mortem results, however, showed that he suffered from severe head injuries with blood clots on his face, police told reporters.
City Police Commissioner Dr Arul B Krishna confirmed Raveendran was taken into custody after allegations of fraudulent property transfers involving the family’s ancestral assets. They also subjected the accused to brain mapping. Two more persons, Anil and Saju, were also taken into custody as accomplices to the murders.
Jayamadhavan’s blood was also found in the car driven by Saju.
Police said Raveendram murdered Jayamadhavan by banging his head against the wall.
Seven members and heirs to the Kodathil family fortune died under suspicious circumstances over a period of 26 years between 1991 and 2017.
The deceased are Gopinatha Pillai, his wife Sumukhiamma, their children Jayabalakrishnan, Jayaprakash and Jayashree, Gopinatha Pillai's nephew Unnikrishnan Nair, and another nephew, Jayamadhavan Nair.
After their deaths, properties worth crores of rupees in Thiruvananthapuram were transferred to Ravindran Nair and some relatives through gift deeds and forged wills.
Forensic examinations confirmed that the the signature on the will did not belong to Jayamadhavan.
Police also said that Raveendran killed Jayamadhavan out of fear that he would get married and subsequently have more heirs to inherit the family fortune.
The investigation gained momentum after local residents Anil Kumar and Prasannakumariamma, a relative of the family, filed complaints.
RB Krishnan said that the investigation would continue to determine if Raveendran had any role in the other suspicious deaths in the family.
The investigation was conducted by a team of city crime branch police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police M I Shaiji.
The Koodathil family owned more than 18 acres of property inside and outside the city, worth crores.
Raveendran Nair acquired some of the property, divided it into plots and sold it.
Jayamadhavan’s brother Jayaprakash died years earlier after vomiting blood; however, no postmortem was conducted.
