Kollam: A day after the 'honour killing' of Kevin P Joseph shook Kerala, mother of former DYFI unit secretary Niyas, who was arrested by the police for the brutal murder, claimed on Tuesday that her son was innocent. She alleged that the parents of Neenu Chacko, with whom Kevin was to tie the knot, had trapped Niyas in the murder case.
Kevin, a Kottayam native, was abducted by a gang of 13 from his home at SH Mount in Kottayam and brutally butchered on Sunday for his love affair with Neenu, who is from a financially well-off family at Thenmala in Kollam district.
Laila Beevi told Manorama News that Neenu's parents, Chacko and Rehna, approached them on Friday for hiring a vehicle to bring back Neenu from Kottayam, who, they said, had gone for an examination. She claimed that Niyas had no clue about the conspiracy to abduct Kevin.
Twenty-three-year-old Kevin's body was found in Chaliyakkara river near Thenmala on Monday.
Relatives of Kevin alleged that he was tortured and killed by the gang engaged by Neenu's brother, two days after they filed a joint application for marriage registration at a sub-registrar office near here.
Laila said they initially refused to go with them as they were still mourning the death of Niyas's father, who died last month.
However, Neenu's parents kept on calling Niyas for a vehicle and driver. Neenu's brother Shanu Chacko, one of the main accused in the case, visited their home on Saturday night and took Niyas with him.
Laila claimed Niyas had no knowledge of Chocko family's plan to assault Kevin.
Meanwhile, sources close to the police said the instructions to kill Kevin was issued with the knowledge of Neenu's parents.
The police are yet to trace Neenu's parents and her brother.
The police have registered a case against 10 people, including Neenu's brother, in connection with the incident. The police have so far arrested three - Niyas, Riyas and Ishan.
Unrest in Kottayam
The abduction and killing of the 23-year-old youth has triggered widespread protests by the Congress and other opposition parties in Kottayam district.
The BJP and UDF observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Tuesday.
The victim's kin alleged that Kevin was murdered because the cops failed act swiftly even after Neenu lodged a complaint on Sunday.
Tragic love story
Kevin and Neenu, 20, who is studying in a college in Kottayam, had submitted the joint marriage registration application at the sub-registrar's office on Friday. Earlier reports had stated that they had entered into wedlock before.
The woman's relatives were allegedly upset with her for going against the wishes of the family.
The woman belongs to a wealthy family in Kollam district while Kevin, hailing from Kumaranallore near here, was not financially sound.
Both Kevin and the woman were earlier summoned to the Gandhinagar police station based on her family's complaint. The woman, however, preferred to go with Kevin.
Honour killing
Kerala Human Rights Commission said it was suspected to be a case of honour killing and ordered the state police chief to submit a report within three weeks if there was any negligence from police's side in investigating the case.
Following the incident, sub-inspector M S Shibu and grade ASI Sunnymon of Gandhinagar police station were suspended for laxity. Kottayam district superintendent of police V M Mohammed Rafique has also been transferred.