Koothattukulam: The murder of a college girl by her classmate-cum-suitor has rattled Kerala. The people of Kozhypilli village here in Ernakulam district are yet to come to terms with the news that an apparently quiet student from there morphed into a brutal killer within a space of hours.

The local people generally maintained a good opinion about Abishek who was an introvert by nature. He was never involved in any cases in the past. Abhishekh had won many medals in arm wrestling.

But Friday was different — he brutally murdered Nithina, his classmate in a likely fit of rage or emotional upheaval after she distanced himself from him of late.

The relatives of the youth recollect how Abhishek took a selfie with his grandmother for putting a post on social media on the occasion of World Elderly Day on Friday. They said he used to spend most of his time in the house and had very few friends.

When the local residents came to his house on Friday after knowing about the murder committed at a college in Pala, there was no one present at home. Abhishek’s father UC Baiju had left for Pala after being told about the incident.

How the friendship changed the youth
Abhishek's family came to know about his friendship about one-and-a-half years ago. His relatives claimed the family members tried to persuade him to come out of the relationship and concentrate on his studies.

This often led to altercations in the family, the relatives said.

The police investigation has revealed that once when his family opposed the relationship, Abhishek banged his head against the wall and hurt himself. He sustained injury on the forehead which was treated at a private hospital at Thellakom, near Kottayam town.

“As usual he left home on Friday after having food. There was no visible changes in his behaviour," Baiju, Abhishek's father, stated.