Kottayam: A family of three from Panachikkad in Kottayam has gone missing, adding to concerns over two other cases in which couples disappeared from the district and remain untraced.

Palamuttam Reji, 62, his wife Susamma, 58, and their son Jomet, 30, left their home at Panachikkad on September 26. Weeks later, the family remains untraceable despite a police investigation.

The case has brought renewed attention to the disappearance of Hashim, 42, and his wife Habeeba, 37, from Arupara in Thazhathangady, and that of retired Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) assistant executive engineer Puthukkat PC Abraham, 69, and his wife Thankamma, 65, from Manganam.

Investigations into both earlier cases have failed to establish what happened to the couples. The latest disappearance has left relatives, friends and local residents worried that it, too, could remain unresolved.

Reji and his family left their Panachikkad home in a rented car bearing registration number KL-26-F-4374. CCTV footage examined by the police showed the vehicle travelling through Vagamon, Elappara, Kattappana and Kuttikkanam before reaching Panchalimedu.

However, investigators have found no clear leads about where the family went afterwards.

Kottayam East Police registered a case following a complaint from the family and began an investigation. A team led by Sub-Inspector Naveen George David conducted searches at Panchalimedu and nearby areas on four occasions, but the efforts yielded no information about the missing family.

Reji worked as a building construction and painting contractor, and his son Jomet worked alongside him.

Preliminary police inquiries indicate that Reji was awaiting substantial payments for contract work he had undertaken. He had also borrowed money from several people to carry out projects and was yet to repay the amounts.

Investigators found that Reji had taken up a house construction contract at Njaliyakuzhy just days before the family disappeared and had received Rs 4 lakh as an advance. The police suspect the family may have been carrying this money when they left home.

The investigating team is examining whether financial liabilities linked to Reji's contracting work played a role in the disappearance.

Neighbours surprised by family's disappearance

The news that Reji and his family had gone missing came as a shock to residents of Panachikkad, who described them as people who maintained cordial relations with others.

The family had bought land in the area several years ago, built a house and settled there. Although neighbours knew that Reji undertook construction projects in different places, they said they had no knowledge of any major financial difficulties.

Local Congress leader and social worker Sibi Kollad said residents had heard about the money owed to Reji only after the news of the family's disappearance spread. People from distant places had subsequently contacted locals and spoken about payments due to them, he said.

Neighbour Gopakumar of Gokulam House said he had helped arrange a friend's car for the family after they requested it. He said he had not noticed anything that suggested they were facing difficulties.

Another neighbour, Pradeep of Chandravilasam House, said the family had maintained good relations with those around them. He added that he had heard about their debts only after they disappeared.

The circumstances surrounding the family's departure remain unclear.

Arupara couple missing since April 2017

Hashim and Habeeba, who lived at Ottakandathil in Arupara, Thazhathangady, disappeared on the evening of April 6, 2017.

The couple had told their children that they were going out in their car to buy food for them. They left in a Maruti Wagon R but never returned home.

After waiting for several hours, their family members approached the police.

The local police initially investigated the case before it was transferred to the Crime Branch. Despite extensive searches, the couple could not be traced.

Investigators searched locations including Peermade and Vagamon. They also drained and examined several rivers and water bodies in an effort to find clues. A search was conducted at Muttam Parakkulam, a pond in Mariappally in Kottayam, but yielded no leads.

The police also questioned a couple travelling by train from Ernakulam to Kottayam after they reported seeing Hashim and Habeeba.

According to their statement, Habeeba had initially told them during the journey that they would get off at Kottayam. However, when the train reached Kottayam, the couple reportedly said they would alight at Kollam instead.

The investigation has not established what happened to Hashim and Habeeba. Hashim's father, Abdul Khader, who had waited in the hope of receiving news about his son, died in 2025.

Manganam couple's disappearance remains unexplained

PC Abraham, a retired KSEB assistant executive engineer, and his wife Thankamma, who lived at Puthukkattu in Manganam, have been missing since November 2017.

The police found the scooter they had used in the parking area of Kottayam railway station. Kottayam East Police registered a case following a complaint from the family and conducted searches at various locations within and outside Kerala.

However, the investigation failed to establish the couple's whereabouts.

The disappearance had a devastating impact on their family. One of their sons died by suicide after his parents went missing.

When relatives learnt of his death, they kept his body in the mortuary, hoping that Abraham and Thankamma would return for the final rites. But the couple did not arrive.

Investigators had also hoped that the couple might contact someone using a phone they had left behind at home. No call came.

The case remains unresolved, with no confirmed information about what happened to the couple.

The disappearance of Reji, Susamma and Jomet has now added another case to the list of families in Kottayam left waiting for answers.