Where is Kurup? Sukumara Kurup mystery back in focus as Crime Branch reviews case files

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police has once again begun examining files related to the disappearance of Sukumara Kurup, one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the state's criminal history. The move by the Crime Branch comes 42 years after the sensational case, with reports suggesting that a senior Crime Branch officer recently reviewed the files and held discussions on the matter.

The Crime Branch has, however, officially clarified that no decision has been taken to reopen the investigation to trace Kurup. According to the police, the review of the case files is a routine exercise.

The infamous murder that shocked Kerala took place on January 21, 1984. Investigators alleged that Kurup murdered film representative Chacko as part of an elaborate plan to fraudulently claim an insurance amount of around ₹30 lakh from his employer in Abu Dhabi. Kurup allegedly intended to convince the world that he had died by burning a body resembling his own inside a car.

According to the investigation, Kurup offered Chacko a lift at Karuvatta, gave him liquor laced with ether, and later suffocated him to death. He then dressed the victim's body in his own clothes, placed it inside a car near a paddy field and set it ablaze to fake his death.

A glove recovered from the crime scene eventually led investigators to unravel the murder plot. While Kurup's alleged accomplices—Bhaskara Pillai, Ponnappan and Shahu—were arrested within days, the prime accused had already vanished. Over the years, numerous theories have surfaced, claiming he altered his appearance and lived in North India or fled abroad. Despite decades of investigation, Kurup remains one of Kerala's most elusive fugitives.

Kurup was also accused of faking his own death during his earlier stint in the Indian Air Force. Then known as Gopalakrishna Kurup, he allegedly used forged documents to assume the identity of Sukumara Kurup before leaving for the Gulf on a fake passport.

More than four decades later, it still remains unclear whether Sukumara Kurup is alive or dead.