Thiruvananthapuram: Afan, the 23-year-old who killed five people—including his family members—took his girlfriend’s life, fearing she would be left alone. Afan reportedly told the police he killed his girlfriend Farsana because he believed, “If I die, my lover will be alone.”

Afan and Farsana’s relationship began during their school days in Venjaramoodu. Farsana was a postgraduate student at a college in Anchal and was known for her academic brilliance. Before leaving home, she had told her family that she was going for tuition.

She remained at home until around 3:30 pm on Monday, when Afan took her away. He led her to a room on the upper floor of his house, where he killed her. Police stated that he used a sharp weapon to attack her head, completely disfiguring her face. According to police, Afan repeatedly struck her head with a hammer-like tool, causing deep wounds on both sides of her forehead and at the center of her skull. It was only when the news of the Venjaramoodu mass murder broke that Farsana’s name was also linked to the crime.

Two days before the murder, a relative of Afan saw him riding his Bullet motorcycle with Farsana.

Her devastated father, Sunil, broke down on hearing the news. Relatives struggled to console him as he arrived at the Venjaramoodu police station, unable to accept that his daughter was gone. Sunil works as a welder.