Kanjirappally: The accused in the double murder case in Kanjirapally, Karimpanal George Kurian, deposed to the police he resorted to the crime as his torpedoed his move to get a share in the ancestral property and dispose of it immediately to pay off his debts.

It was on Monday that George Kurian was arrested after his younger brother Renju Kurian, 50, and maternal uncle Mathew Scaria, 78, were shot dead by him during a conciliation talk held at their ancestral home in Kanjirapally, which is in the eastern part of Kottayam district.

During interrogation, George told the police that Renju and Scaria objected to him getting more share from the family property.

According to George Kurian, though his father gave him a property adjacent to their ancestral house, his brother and maternal uncle stood in the way of selling that property. He said he had no other option but to sell the property since he owed debt worth crores of rupees.

During the shootout, Renju died on the spot while Scaria succumbed to injuries at the hospital. George Kurian came to Kanjirappally from Ernakulam three days ago. On Monday, three of them sat for discussions, which led to a quarrel.

George also told the police he took the revolver and shot at them when Renju and Scaria tried to beat him up. The police are examining in detail his revolver and its licence documents.

Renju got a bullet injury on his head. Scaria received bullet injuries on his head and chest. It is assessed that the bullets pierced through the head of both the victims and came out.

The post-mortem of their bodies was conducted on Tuesday.

George in Pala sub-jail

Meanwhile, George was taken to the ancestral house for evidence collection on Tuesday around 7pm by a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police N Babukuttan and Circle Inspector Rijo P Joseph.

The Kanjirapally Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court remanded George to judicial custody for 14 days. He was later shifted to the sub-jail at Pala.

Funeral on Wednesday, Thursday

Renju's funeral will be held at the St Dominic's Cathedral at Kanjirappally on Wednesday at 11:30am after prayers at home. Scaria's funeral will be held at St George Church, Koottickal, on Thursday at 11am.

Scaria, hailing from Pottakulam family in Koottickal, is survived by his wife Annie and children Renu, Anju, Annu, and Neethu, and sons-in-law Mathen Chakola, Mathew Kurivanakunnel, Sanju Aanathanam, and Ouseph Pulikkal.