Alappuzha: Kerala police have intensified their probe into a suspected serial killing case involving a 65-year-old man named Sebastian, arrested in connection with the December 2024 disappearance of a woman named Jainamma.

The accused, a real estate dealer from Pallipuram in Alappuzha district, is now being linked to at least three other missing women cases dating back nearly two decades.

According to reports on Monday, police had recovered more human remains from Sebastian’s property during a second round of forensic examination, conducted with the accused present. With suspicions that additional evidence may be submerged, authorities and fire officials are now preparing to drain a nearby pond, believed to contain further body parts. The remains discovered so far will undergo DNA testing to determine their identities. However, police say Sebastian has not been cooperative, making the investigation increasingly challenging.

The case came to light after the mobile phone tower location of the missing woman, Jainamma from Ettumanoor in Kottayam, traced her last known movement to Sebastian’s premises. A search operation led to the discovery of charred human remains near his home.

In light of these developments, police have reopened cold cases involving the disappearances of three other women: Bindhu Padmanabhan (2006), Ayisha (2012), and Sindhu (2020)—all from Alappuzha and all of whom were estranged from their families at the time they went missing.

Investigators suspect a recurring pattern. Sebastian is believed to have targeted women who lived alone, allegedly killing them for financial gain—including gold and property. In the case of Padmanabhan, he had allegedly facilitated a land sale using forged documents after her disappearance. Similarly, he was previously questioned in Ayisha’s case, but the probe yielded no conclusive outcome at the time.

Sindhu’s disappearance in 2020 is also now being revisited, as police cross-check similar missing persons cases across the state.

Authorities are also reaching out to jewellery shops and private finance institutions that may have had dealings with Sebastian. His property, spread across a vast area, is being searched in stages. Disturbingly, the pond under scrutiny is suspected to contain flesh-eating catfish, raising further concerns about how evidence might have been disposed of.

Investigations are ongoing, including DNA testing, financial probes, and property searches.

This is a developing story. Further identification of remains will be confirmed after forensic analysis.