Wayanad: In a significant turning point in the probe into the murder of a migrant worker in Vellamunda here, a team from Thondarnad police, led by Inspector Ashraf S, arrested another migrant worker Muhammed Arif (38), a native of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and his wife Sainaba (27) on Saturday.

According to the police, Arif strangled his friend, Mugeeb Ahammed (29), another migrant labourer from the same district in Uttar Pradesh. Although the accused were taken into custody on Friday night, their arrest was officially recorded on Saturday evening following interrogation and evidence collection.

Arif also dismembered Mugeeb’s body into two pieces and, ensuring that no blood was visible, packed the remains into a box and a travel bag. Arif and Sainaba had been residing in Velliladi, within Wayanad's Thondanadu panchayat, for several months.

Intervention of a suspicious driver
According to a police communiqué, Arif hired a pick-up auto-rickshaw driven by his friend, another migrant worker from Assam, around 8 pm. on Friday. Arif told the driver that he was returning to his village in Uttar Pradesh and needed to dispose of some waste.

Carrying two bags, the couple travelled about two kilometres from their residence in Velliladi. They disposed of one bag at a banana farm and the other in a stream from the Moorithod bridge.

After dropping Arif back home, the auto driver noticed bloodstains on the seat and became suspicious of Arif’s actions. Fearing he might be implicated in a crime, he rushed to the Vellamunda police station and reported the incident. Acting on the tip-off, Vellamunda Sub-Inspector Minimol TK. and her team examined the area and confirmed that one of the bags contained human body parts. They immediately proceeded to the rented quarters of Muhammed Arif and Sainaba, where they recovered the other box.

Friends turned foes
Hailing from the same village in Uttar Pradesh, Mugeeb Ahammed and Muhammed Arif had been friends for eight years. Both worked as painters and initially lived together in the same rented quarters. However, Arif had been absent for several years after returning to his hometown for marriage.

A few months ago, he returned to Velliladi with his wife, Sainaba, and started looking for work. Mugeeb, a handsome young man, visited Arif’s home frequently and developed a close relationship with Sainaba. Even in Arif’s absence, Mugeeb continued to visit her. Their growing intimacy led to frequent quarrels between Arif and his wife. Arif became increasingly suspicious as Sainaba began showing extra care towards Mugeeb. Eventually, tensions between the two men escalated. To avoid further conflict, Mugeeb moved out of their shared quarters and relocated to Edavaka.

The Crime
During interrogation, Sainaba revealed that Arif suspected Mugeeb was still involved with her. Under the pretence of reconciliation before leaving Wayanad, Arif invited Mugeeb to his house on Friday afternoon. The family had planned to return to their village in Uttar Pradesh that night. Arif assured Mugeeb that he wanted to resolve their issues before his departure.

While Sainaba and Mugeeb were chatting inside the house, Arif suddenly strangled Mugeeb from behind using a long towel. Police said that Sainaba also assisted Arif in the crime. Arif then used a newly purchased knife to cut Mugeeb’s body in half at the torso.

Authorities transported Mugeeb’s remains to Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavadi, in the early hours of Saturday. A post-mortem was conducted, after which the suspects were presented before the Judicial First Class Magistrate and remanded into judicial custody.

The investigation team included Sub-Inspectors Minimol TK and Vinod Joseph from Vellamunda police station, as well as Thondarnad Station House Officer Ashraf S. Various police units, including fingerprint experts, forensic specialists, and the scientific investigation team, assisted in gathering evidence.