Kerala mass murder: Accused killed girlfriend as 'she'll be alone...'
What's the story
The prime suspect in a Kerala mass murder case, a 23-year-old man identified as Afan, has reportedly confessed to killing his girlfriend because he believed she "will not be able to live alone" without him.
The victims include his 88-year-old grandmother, 13-year-old brother, girlfriend, paternal uncle, and the uncle's wife.
Afan surrendered at the Venjaramoodu police station and later attempted suicide by consuming poison.
Debt issues
Financial crisis suspected as motive behind killings
The police have revealed that financial liabilities are suspected to be a motive behind the brutal killings.
Afan had reportedly accumulated a debt of ₹65 lakh from 14 creditors and initially planned to die by suicide with his mother and brother.
Thiruvananthapuram rural district police chief Sudarsan KS said "the family was having a financial crisis," and Afan had borrowed ₹40,000 from a financial institution.
Family statement
Accused's father dismisses financial liabilities as motive
However, Afan's father dismissed financial liabilities as a motive for the killings.
He told reporters that "we did not have any big financial liabilities," expressing uncertainty about what led to the crimes.
"It was not an issue in our family," he added, stating that he was unaware of what led to the killings and that it was up to the police to investigate.
Survivor's condition
Afan's mother survives attack, receiving treatment
Afan also attacked his mother during the incident. She survived the brutal assault and is currently undergoing medical treatment for her injuries.
The murders occurred in three different locations under two police jurisdictions—Venjaramoodu and Pangode.
Afan was arrested on Thursday and remanded to judicial custody till March 13 in connection with his grandmother's murder.