Thiruvananthapuram: A shocking and brutal murder spree unfolded in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, when a 23-year-old man, Affan, allegedly murdered five people, including his family members and girlfriend. The accused is said to have carried out the killings alone, with CCTV footage and the initial investigation corroborating the same. Police are now investigating the reasons behind this grisly act and whether Affan was under the influence of drugs or any other substances at the time of the crime.

The sequence of murders

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According to the statement given by accused Affan, the first victim was his grandmother, Salma Beevi, who lived in Kallara. Affan is believed to have arrived at his grandmother's house from Venjaramoodu around 12:30 pm to carry out the murder. Surveillance footage revealed that Salma Beevi’s house was visited by the mosque secretary at 11:30 am to collect a donation, and Affan reportedly arrived after that and murdered his grandmother.

At around 5 pm, a relative who came to visit Salma Beevi found her body lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.

After attacking his grandmother, Affan went to his paternal uncle Latif's house and killed both Latif and his wife Shahida. After murdering his relatives, Affan returned home, where he attacked his mother (undertreatment) and brother. According to reports, before killing his brother, Affan brought food for him.

Additionally, Affan is also believed to have murdered his girlfriend, who had come to his house on his intimation. Disturbingly, the accused had severely beaten his girlfriend and disfigured her face to such an extent that it was beyond recognition.

The killings spread over several locations, starting with his grandmother’s house and continuing through to his own home.

Contradictory statements and investigating motive

In his statement to the police, Affan claimed that the murder of his grandmother was prompted by revenge over a necklace she refused to give him. He said that he had asked for the necklace but was denied, which led him to kill her. However, the police have expressed doubts about the authenticity of this claim.

Affan further stated that the murders were committed in order to settle his father’s debts, claiming that he could see no other way out of his financial troubles. He alleged that when he turned to his relatives for help, they refused to support him, pushing him to take drastic measures. However, this statement has not been fully accepted by the police, who believe there are contradictions in his version.

According to Affan’s account, he left home and went straight to a gold loan firm in Venjaramoodu. He took an advance payment from the firm, promising to pledge an ornament. He assured them that the ornament would be provided by noon. As he was already known to them, the firm provided the money. Using these funds, he purchased a hammer from Venjaramoodu.

With this hammer, he allegedly bludgeoned his grandmother, Salma Beevi, to death and took her necklace. He then returned to Venjaramoodu and pledged the chain at the firm. Later, he went to his paternal uncle's house, where he allegedly murdered his uncle and aunt.

After returning home, he attacked his mother. He then called his female friend to the house and killed her as well. Finally, he murdered his younger brother, who was playing outside.

After committing the crimes, the accused reportedly took an auto-rickshaw to the police station to confess. However, police remain sceptical of his statement, citing multiple inconsistencies. They have confirmed that the jewellery was pledged but are still verifying the exact amount of money borrowed.

Notably, after the murder of his grandmother, the accused allegedly received a call from the phone of his slain uncle.

Suspicion over the sequence of events

The police are investigating whether Affan may have attacked his mother first, possibly choking her with a shawl and locking her in a room before proceeding with the murders at his grandmother’s house. This theory has not yet been confirmed, but officials believe that the sequence of events could be different from Affan's account.

Police also suspect that Affan might have murdered his family members in a different order than he claims. However, these details remain under investigation.

The officials are continuing to investigate the full motive behind the murders, with a particular focus on the possibility of Affan being under the influence of drugs or some other substance. The police are also examining his online connections and have raised questions about his state of mind during the killings.