Akin to Koodathayi, 7 deaths in Koodathil family with assets worth ₹100 cr; Manager held after 9 yrs

Thiruvananthapuram: An arrest has been made nine years after the initial investigation began into the suspicious deaths within the prominent Karamana Koodathil family in Thiruvananthapuram, a case drawing striking parallels to the infamous Koodathayi serial murders.
The investigation team found that the murders were driven by attempts by the family's manager, Raveendran Nair, to usurp assets worth crores of rupees owned by the family. Facing a deadlock due to the lack of direct physical evidence, the Crime Branch confirmed the suspect's involvement in the crime through brain mapping, leading to his arrest.

Seven potential heirs to the Koodathil family's multi-crore estate died under mysterious circumstances over a span of 15 years. Forensic reports proved to be a crucial turning point in the case, which was under investigation by the District Crime Branch for years.

Although Jayamadhavan Nair's death was previously identified as a homicide, no arrest had been executed. Suspicion originally arose when properties belonging to the deceased ended up in the hands of the manager, Raveendran Nair, and a few distant relatives under the guise of deeds of gift.

Raveendran Nair was taken into custody after being summoned for questioning by the District Crime Branch. Investigations revealed that Raveendran's motive was to seize the family's land through the murder of Jayamadhavan Nair.

The seventh mysterious death

Though Karamana Police initially registered a case of unnatural death following Jayamadhavan Nair's death on April 2, 2017, the case was eventually closed. This was the seventh mysterious death in the family.

The Crime Branch reopened the investigation following complaints lodged by Anil, a local activist, and Prasannakumari, wife of family member Unnikrishnan Nair. However, the probe did not progress as expected initially.

Allegations surfaced at the time that the District Crime Branch team itself was sabotaging the probe. As public outrage grew over the serial-killer-style narrative similar to Koodathayi, the District Crime Branch formally took over the probe in October 2019.

Police subsequently registered a case against 10 individuals, including court staffer-turned-manager Raveendran Nair and distant relatives, on charges of attempting to usurp property. However, due to a lack of evidence and the failure to conclusively establish Jayamadhavan Nair's death as a murder at the time, the investigation stalled again.

Despite strong indications, no arrests were made, leading complainants Prasannakumari and Anil to approach the government in 2022 demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. This prompted the District Crime Branch to accelerate its investigation, ultimately concluding that Jayamadhavan Nair's death was indeed a homicide masterminded by Raveendran Nair.

The manager as the killer

Following the deaths of Gopinathan Nair and his wife, Raveendran Nair, a family friend, managed the household affairs. Jayamadhavan Nair, the final surviving heir, was brought dead to the Medical College Hospital. Complainant Prasannakumari had noted that neighbours were not alerted when Jayamadhavan was found unconscious. Complainants also raised doubts over why he was rushed to a distant hospital instead of a nearby medical facility.

According to the FIR, Raveendran Nair was with Jayamadhavan Nair on the night preceding his death on April 2, 2017. Raveendran initially told police that Jayamadhavan had spoken with him until 10 pm that night. He claimed he returned to his own home and found Jayamadhavan lying collapsed in the hall where the TV was on when he returned at 7 am the next morning.

Raveendran Nair had claimed in his statement to the Karamana Police that he took Jayamadhavan to the hospital accompanied by a neighbour. However, Crime Branch investigators discovered that Raveendran had actually brought a domestic worker named Leela, who lived further away, to transport him to the hospital.

Assets worth ₹100 crore and forged wills

Estimates indicate the Koodathil family owned properties worth around ₹100 crore. Even before the last heir, Jayamadhavan Nair, was killed, distant relatives had begun fabricating forged wills to usurp these assets. The joint family owned prime city properties worth over ₹30 crore, including a bungalow. Documents showed that 65 cents of land in Kalady and a house were willed to family friend Raveendran Nair. A preliminary inquiry by the Crime Branch ADGP revealed severe irregularities in the preparation of these wills.

Investigators determined that Jayamadhavan Nair was murdered after he decided to get married. Taking advantage of Jayamadhavan's mental instability, the accused manipulated him into filing court cases to liquidate and sell off these ancestral properties.

The high-value lands were acquired or encroached upon by several influential individuals. Allegations existed that the case stalled due to the backing of officials and politicians who profited from the land deals. Former State Police Chief Loknath Behera had stated that there was mystery surrounding the murder, recommending a detailed investigation covering fraud, forgery and witness intimidation.

Desperate attempts to tamper with evidence

Exploiting Jayamadhavan Nair's mental condition, Raveendran Nair misled the investigation. Police found that statements provided by Raveendran Nair were false and that he influenced others to give matching fabricated statements. The will transferring the family home and land to Raveendran Nair was confirmed to be forged.

Testimony from an auto-rickshaw driver who claimed to have transported Jayamadhavan Nair to the hospital was proven false. The investigators also discovered Raveendran Nair had paid him ₹5 lakh. Attempts were also made at the Medical College to bypass Jayamadhavan Nair's post-mortem examination.

Inconsistencies emerged among statements given by the domestic worker, former manager Sahadevan and Raveendran Nair. While they initially claimed Jayamadhavan tripped over a doorstep, they later changed the narrative to state he hit his head on a bed during a fall. The investigation team ultimately confirmed that Jayamadhavan died from a deliberate blow to the head.

Seven mysterious deaths

Seven people died under mysterious circumstances in the Kalady Koodathil family. Three brothers – Gopinathan Nair, Velupillai and Narayanan Nair – were the last primary owners of the property. Gopinathan Nair and his wife Sumathi Amma had three children -Jayabalakrishnan Nair, Jayaprakash and Jayasree. Jayaprakash and Jayasree died young, and none of the three children married.

The deaths under suspicion were of Gopinathan Nair, his wife Sumathi Amma, their children Jayabalakrishnan Nair, Jayaprakash and Jayasree, Velupillai's son Unnikrishnan Nair and Narayanan Nair's son Jayamadhavan Nair. A post-mortem was conducted only in the case of Jayamadhavan Nair's death.

The shrouded ‘Uma Mandiram’

The dilapidated old 'Uma Mandiram' house located by the roadside in Kalady Kulathara was once a focal point of public attention due to these mysterious deaths. Although known locally as 'Koodathil' (similar to Koodathayi), it is officially recorded as ‘Uma Mandiram’. A traditional joint family, the deaths within the Koodathil household occurred in rapid succession after 1995.