Kozhikode, Kerala: Kerala Police have identified a man from Kannur district as the victim of a 1986 murder confessed to by a 55-year-old man nearly four decades after the crime was committed.

Mohammedali, a resident of Koodaranji in Kozhikode district, had approached police last year claiming responsibility for two murders committed in the 1980s and asking to be arrested.

After nearly a year of investigation, police confirmed that one of the killings took place and identified the victim as Mohanan, a native of Iritty in Kannur district, who was killed in November 1986.

Mohammedali told local media he felt relieved that the victim had finally been identified and said he was prepared to face legal consequences.

"I am ready to accept punishment. It was a mistake committed at a time when I lacked maturity. I chose to confess it after realising its gravity," he said.

The confession initially posed a challenge for cops, who had to verify details of an alleged crime dating back almost four decades.

According to Mohammedali's statement, the incident occurred in Koodaranji in 1986 after the victim allegedly attempted to sexually assault him. He claimed that, while trying to defend himself, he pushed the man into the water and then forced him underwater, resulting in his death.

The officials linked the confession to a newspaper report published in December 1986 that described finding an unidentified young man's body in a field behind Koodaranji Mission Hospital.

Based on Mohammedali's confession, Thiruvambady Police collected information on people reported missing from the Malabar region during the mid-1980s. Following an extensive scientific investigation, officers concluded that the victim was Mohanan. His relatives had not received any information about his whereabouts for several years.

"Although the accused's confession initially appeared difficult to believe, a detailed investigation enabled us to establish a clear link between the missing person and the locations described by the accused. Police are now working to gather additional scientific evidence to further strengthen the case," police sources said.

He also claimed responsibility for a second killing in 1989 at Kozhikode's Vellayil beach, allegedly carried out with the help of another person.

Police said efforts are continuing to identify the victim and verify details related to the second case. The investigation remains ongoing.