Kerala: Four of family murdered, suspect son absconding

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An elderly couple, their daughter and a visually-impaired relative were found murdered and their mansion set on fire near the CM’s official residence at Nanthancode in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night. The police is on the look-out for the son of the couple who it believes decamped after committing the crime. The police said they found the charred bodies of Professer Raja Thankam, 60; his wife Dr Jean Padma, 58; daughter Dr Caroline, 25, when they entered the house after dousing the fire by around 12 am on Saturday. The body of their relative Lalitha Jane, 70 was found chopped inside a blanket.

The police has launched a manhunt for Cadell Jeansen Raja, 30, who it suspects has escaped the city from Thampanoor bus stand. The police said they got a distress call at around 10.30 pm from the victims’ neighbours who were woken up by an LPG gas cylinder explosion and fire at the house. The police which rushed to the spot with a team of firefighters managed to douse the fire by 12 am. It is learnt that the police has recovered a machete and an axe from the spot. They also found a partially burnt dummy which looks like Cadell.

Dr Padma, a cardiologist, had retired from Government General Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, while Caroline had recently returned home after pursing MBBS from China. The sources said Cadell had prevented the maid from cleaning the first floor of the house for some days. “He asked the maid on Saturday afternoon to leave the house as his parents had gone away for a tour to Kanyakumari. Lalitha, an aunt of Dr Padma, was visually challenged lady and used to stay at their outhouse. She used to be sent to the day home,” the source said. Police under ADGP B. Sandhya has recorded statements from neighbours and sent the bodies Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, for autopsy.