Thiruvananthapuram murder case: 'Anonymity of city life is true culprit'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police on Sunday started a manhunt to find Cadell Jeansen Raja, 30, who allegedly murdered four including his parents and sister the previous night. “At night, an LPG gas explosion rocked the house triggering a blaze. I yelled and banged at the gates of the neighbours at Bains Compound locality with huge stones but no one would open the door. After a while, two people turned up at the spot and we rang up the fire force. The fire officials did not attend the call, so we called the police,” the immediate neighbour of the family who did not wish to be identified said. He added that the anonymity of city life seemed more evil than the murders itself.

Cadell, 30, and his family including mother Dr Jean Padma and father Raj Thankam has been staying at Mrs Padma’s amcestral property at Nanthencode. Off late they rarely used to interact with neighbours. Cadell’s sister Caroline who was pursuing MBBS in China had returned home only recently. The fourth victim Lalitha, was Mrs Padma’s aunt. “Cadell would stoop and walk looking at the ground. If we tried to initiate a conversation, he would give monosyllabic answers and walk away,” said another neighbour.

Cadel, alumni of a prestigious school at Kaudiar, had studied engineering in Australia until 2009. He was learnt to be an expert in artificial intelligence. The family, though financially affluent used to live a low profile life. Dr Padma was a retired government medical officer and professor Thankam used to teach at Nesamony Memorial Christian College at Marthandom. He owned a rubber estate at Marthandam and had a poultry farm in Tamil Nadu as well as at Nanthancode. The lone Ambassador car the family owned was always kept at their farm. The maid was expected to only look after work outside the house and feed the chickens. A relative who used to reside in the neighbourhood was fast asleep and was unaware of the incidents until morning.