Thiruvananthapuram: Police have arrested two people, including an 18-year-old girl, and detained a minor in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old boy in the state capital. The victim, Abhiram, went missing on Sunday afternoon, and his body was recovered on Monday, stuffed inside a sack and abandoned in an isolated banana plantation near Pangappara. Preliminary findings indicate he was strangled to death.

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Investigators confirmed that the minor suspect and the girl were known to Abhiram. A third individual, Umar, who faces existing proceedings under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), has also been implicated in the crime.

The victim’s father has disputed the official narrative, claiming his son was not the intended target. He alleged that the minor suspect called Abhiram using the girl’s phone, summoning him to Pangappara before demanding he lure another friend to the spot. The father maintains that Abhiram was killed after refusing to cooperate, and suspects the minor is taking the fall to protect older accomplices due to juvenile leniency laws. He also criticised the police for initially letting the minor leave custody on Sunday, asserting that earlier, thorough interrogation could have exposed the conspiracy sooner.

PTI