Kasaragod: In a suspected case of fratricide, a man with a criminal record was found murdered with multiple slash wounds at his house at Kalai, a village on the border of Karnataka, in Paivalike grama panchayat.

The deceased has been identified as Prabhakara Nonda (42). His elder brother Jayarama Nonda (45) is the main suspect, said Kasaragod deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Sudhakaran P K. Both the Nonda brothers have cases of murder, theft, and assault pending against them in Karnataka, he said.

Several years ago, Jayarama and Prabhakara allegedly hacked to death their elder brother Balakrishna Nonda in public at Baikkatta, said their panchayat member and CPM leader Sreenivasa Bhandari (70). "Though both were involved in the crime, only Jayarama was pressed with charges and he served some time in jail," he said.

Around 8 am on Saturday, their 75-year-old mother Baby Narayanan found Prabhakara lying in a pool of blood. "There were cut marks on his abdomen, neck, shoulders, and arm," said DySP Sudhakaran.

For the past month, Jayarama was telling people that he would kill his brother, he said.

Police are yet to officially state the motive for the crime but hinted it could be linked to the family property

Would not sleep at home fearing arrest

Bhandari said Baby has around two acres of acrecanut (betel nut) plantation at Velai and farmland at Puttur in Karnataka. "Prabhakara could have been murdered for the property," he said.

The DySP said police had filed cases against the brothers for assaulting each other in 2019. "Since then, there have been no cases against them in Kerala. But their criminal activities are in Karnataka," he said.

The brothers do not sleep inside the house fearing arrest, said Bhandari. Prabhakara had made a shelter on top of the bathroom outside the house. He was found dead near the bathroom.

Jayarama has an old Alto car. He either sleeps inside the car or in the fields, said the panchayat member. "Now his phone is switched off and he is on the run," said Bhandari.