Abhiram murder: Second accused Umar’s female friend detained; what police suspect about her role

Thiruvananthapuram: Police have taken a 22-year-old woman into custody for questioning in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old boy whose body was found stuffed in a sack and abandoned at an isolated plot in Pangappara.

The woman is a close friend of Umar Mufthar, the second accused in the case. Police suspect that she had prior knowledge of the murder plan and the accused persons' subsequent attempts to destroy evidence.

According to police, Mufthar had allegedly shared with her the plan to target Abhiram and another friend on behalf of the prime accused, who is a minor. 

The woman was taken into custody on Wednesday night. Police are questioning her to establish whether she had any direct involvement in the murder. A decision on her arrest will be taken after further interrogation and verification of the evidence, officials said.

Three people have already been arrested in connection with the murder. They include the juvenile prime accused, Umar Mufthar (22), a native of Pangappara near Sreekaryam, and Anandha B A (18), a resident of Manacaud.
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How the 17-year-old was killed

According to the police investigation, the murder was linked to a relationship dispute. A friend of Abhiram was allegedly in a relationship with a girl who was the girlfriend of the prime accused.

The accused allegedly used Anandha, a female friend of Abhiram, to lure him to an isolated location in Pangappara. The intention was to use Abhiram to persuade his friend to come to the spot.

However, when that plan failed, the accused allegedly attacked Abhiram and strangled him with a belt, police said.

His body was subsequently stuffed into a sack and dumped among banana plants at an isolated plot near Sreekaryam.
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Body found after parents report him missing

Abhiram's body was discovered on Monday after his parents approached the Sreekaryam police, reporting that he had failed to return home.

The body was found inside a sack at the vacant plot in Pangappara. Police have since been investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder and whether more people were involved.

The latest detention of Umar's female friend is part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged murder conspiracy and the destruction of evidence.