Amid Sukumara Kurup sighting buzz, Thrissur man says man in viral photo is his uncle, not fugitive

Thrissur, Kerala: Amid media reports and social media posts claiming that a man suspected to be fugitive Sukumara Kurup had been sighted in Brunei, a Thrissur resident has said the passport and personal details circulating online belong to his uncle, who has been living in the country for years.

Gopinathan, a native of Karumathara near Wadakkanchery, told Mathrubhumi News that his uncle, Damodaran Menon, was not Sukumara Kurup and that claims linking the two were false.

He said the family wanted the speculation to end and the facts surrounding the matter to be made public.

Family says Menon has lived in Brunei for years

According to Gopinathan, he last spoke to Menon about a month ago. During that conversation, Menon reportedly said he was unwell and confined to bed.

Gopinathan said he had not met his uncle in person for 24 years, though they had remained in intermittent contact through WhatsApp and phone calls.

During their last conversation, Gopinathan said he had asked Menon to return to Kerala. Menon reportedly replied that he was facing some business-related problems and would return after a related case was settled.

That was their last conversation, Gopinathan said.

He added that he had only seen his uncle through video calls in recent years. Gopinathan, who has been married for 23 years, said Menon had not returned to Kerala during that period, although he had heard that his uncle visited the state in 2000.

Wife and children live in Malaysia

Gopinathan said the man whose details are now being circulated online as those of Sukumara Kurup was his wife's maternal uncle.

According to him, Menon's wife and children live in Malaysia, while Menon has been living separately from them for years. His ancestral home and sister, however, remain in Karumathara.

As fresh reports and social media discussions about Sukumara Kurup emerged, claims also circulated that the phone number linked to Menon had been switched off.

Gopinathan rejected the claim, saying he had called the number and it had rung. He added that Menon was still using the same phone number. 

Gopinathan and Menon's family have urged people to stop circulating what they described as false claims linking him to Sukumara Kurup.