Thrissur man out on bail in rape case allegedly kills complainant, arrested in Chennai

Kozhikode: Nadakkavu Police on Friday, November 29, arrested a private bus driver, Abdul Sanoof (30), from Chennai in connection with the murder of a cosmetics salesgirl and beautician at a lodge in Eranhipalam, a suburb of the city. Faseela (33), a resident of Vettathur near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district, was found dead in her room at Faaz Residency, a lodge in Eranhipalam, on Tuesday, November 26.

Nadakkavu Station House Office - Inspector N Prajeesh, who is investigating the case, said the murder was an act of retaliation for not withdrawing a rape complaint she filed against him earlier this year.

Sanoof drives a private passenger bus on the Palakkad-Malappuram route. He and Faseela checked into the lodge on Sunday, November 24, but Sanoof had been missing since Monday night. The following day, the lodge receptionist found Faseela dead in her room.

After the autopsy concluded that asphyxiation was the cause of death, Nadakkavu police registered a murder case under Section 103 (1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). As there was no other possible cause for asphyxiation in the room, police registered a murder case, said Prajeesh.

Nadakkavu Police formed three teams to find him. In between, Palakkad South Police impounded Sanoof's car, which had been abandoned in their jurisdiction. According to officers, police tracked Sanoof to a lodge in Avadi in Chennai after he attempted to contact a friend in Bengaluru.

Sanoof and Faseela were friends for almost a year, said Inspector Prajeesh. Earlier this year, she filed a complaint at the Ottapalam police station, accusing Sanoof of raping her and circulating a video of the assault among her relatives and on social media.

"Sanoof spent 83 days in judicial remand in that case. After being released on bail, he used to pressure her to withdraw the complaint," Inspector Prajeesh said and added that he likely killed Faseela with the intent to silence her.