Man acquitted in sensational Kevin murder case found dead in canal; police probe circumstances

Punalur (Kerala, Kollam): A man who was acquitted in Kerala’s sensational Kevin honour killing case was found dead in a canal behind his residence in Punalur on Saturday morning, prompting police to investigate the circumstances of his death.

The deceased has been identified as N. Shinumon (29), who lived in a three-storey residential building near Chemmanthoor College junction. His body was discovered in the canal running behind the flat where he had been residing.

Police said the body bore multiple injuries. Preliminary findings suggest Shinumon may have fallen from the building’s terrace, which reportedly has no parapet wall.

During a search of the building, police recovered a mobile phone from the rooftop, believed to belong to the deceased. Officers said the recovery forms part of the ongoing probe into the incident.

After initial procedures were completed at the site, the body was shifted to the taluk hospital and later sent to Parippally Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Police said further investigation is under way.

Acquittal in Kevin honour killing case

Shinumon had earlier been named as an accused in the Kevin murder case, which triggered widespread outrage across Kerala in 2018. He was acquitted by the court after the trial.

The Kevin murder was Kerala’s first recognised honour killing. In 2018, Kevin P. Joseph, a Dalit Christian, married Neenu Chacko against her family’s wishes. Enraged by the marriage, Neenu’s brother Syanu Chacko and ten accomplices abducted Kevin from a friend’s house.

During the kidnapping, Kevin attempted to escape but was chased and drowned in the Chaliyekkara river. The court later sentenced Syanu and his associates to double life imprisonment