Kozhikode: Chanora Asokan (71) from Panayi, Balussery, who was allegedly murdered by his son Sudheesh, had long feared for his life. He often expressed concerns that Sudheesh, who had attacked him multiple times following heated arguments, might kill him one day.

"Asokan frequently shared his fears with us. Sudheesh, who was a mental patient assaulted Ashokan, especially when the latter asked him to take his medication. The tragic memory of his wife Shobhana’s murder by their younger son Sumesh—also a mental patient—haunted him," Arifa Beevi, a ward member of Balussery grama panchayat told Onmanorama.

According to Arifa, Sudheesh had attacked Asokan several times, and he narrowly escaped on multiple occasions. Two months ago, Sudheesh assaulted him over the same issue, leaving him with a minor hand injury. Following this, the police and local authorities attempted to admit Sudheesh to the Government Mental Hospital in Kozhikode, but Asokan, a heart patient, was unwilling to accompany him as a bystander. The police then took Sudheesh to a nearby private hospital, where doctors advised admission. However, due to the lack of an available bystander, the plan was dropped.

"We were deeply concerned for Asokan’s safety and repeatedly advised him to get Sudheesh admitted to a hospital. Just a week ago, I checked on him, and he said everything was normal," Arifa recalled.

On Monday evening, neighbours heard loud noises from Asokan’s house. When they noticed that the lights were out even after 7 pm, a neighbour and Asokan’s brother went to check the house. They found him lying in a pool of blood. The blood had already clotted, suggesting the murder had taken place hours earlier.

When people found Ashokan's body, Sudheesh was not home—he had gone to Balussery town to sell areca nuts collected from their property. The police and locals began searching for him in town but were only able to catch him as he neared their house. Authorities suspect that Sudheesh murdered his father before leaving to sell the areca nuts.

The police took Sudheesh to the Balussery Taluk Hospital for a medical checkup, but he was referred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode for further tests, including a CT scan due to his mental health condition.

"By morning, he was brought back to the station for further formalities. His arrest is yet to be recorded," said a police officer from Balussery station. Meanwhile, Asokan’s mortal remains have been shifted to the Medical College Hospital mortuary and will be handed over to his relatives after an autopsy.