Afan appeared normal when he reached the police station to inform of his crime and surrender, say eyewitnesses.
At present, Afan is admitted to the state-run Medical College Hospital here.
Dubai: The 23-year-old youth, Afan who killed four of his relatives along with his 19-year-old girlfriend was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime, according to a preliminary probe by the police, latest reports say. Afan killed members of his family and his girlfriend one after the other in three houses on Monday before surrendering to the police.
The victims were identified as his grandmother Salma Beevi, uncle Latheef, his wife Shahida, 14-year-old brother Afsan, and lover Farzana. He also attacked his mother Shemi, who was severely injured in the incident and is being treated in a local hospital.
-Advertisement-
Ads by
Afan is currently admitted to the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and is under police custody.
He is now not cooperating with the probe and also the treating medical professionals, authorities said.
Police and family members are trying to piece together missing links in the multiple murders. He has confessed to the police that the motive of the crime was the huge financial debts his father had accumulated following the failure of his business in the Middle East, the police does not fully believe it.
Afan, with no history of crime or known drug use, appeared normal when he reached the police station to inform of his crime and surrender, say eyewitnesses. Just before going into the police station, he spotted a friend Alif and had time to chat with him.
‘Finished off three, four people’
“I have finished off three, four people. I will go into the police station and put my signature, and come back right now,” he allegedly said to the friend. Before Alif had time to grasp the situation fully, Afan went into the police station and it is later he would come to know of the atrocious crime he has committed.
The friend told Malayalam TV channels that there appeared to be no remorse on his face. He appeared normal and was spinning the keys of his motorcycle when approaching him, the friend said. However, other reports say he took a three-wheeler to reach the police station.
Murders committed between 10am and 6pm
The murders were committed between 10 am and 6pm KS Sudarshan, SP told the media. Afan is admitted to the hospital for suspected poisoning and he will be interrogated further, he said.
According to Afan’s confession, police say Afan travelled some 35 kilometres on his bike to commit the murders in three locations. He first went to Pangode from his home in Perumala. After killing his grandmother Salma Beevi, he went to his uncle’s house and killed the couple. Afan then returned to his home and attacked his mother, younger brother and girlfriend, according to police. His mother, who is a cancer patient, is still in a serious condition, undergoing treatment at the hospital.
NRI family
Afan’s father Abdul Rahim is an NRI working in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, for the last 25 years. Afan, his mother, and his brother had only recently returned from a visit there. He is currently stuck there with a travel ban and that is why the family was brought over to Dammam for holidays. Because of the travel ban, Abdul Rahim is not in a position to return home for the burial.
Police earlier hinted at some financial difficulties that Afan’s father might be going through, that could have led to the chain murders, but there is no explanation of how this could have forced Afan to commit the crime.
The accused also told police he had accumulated some debt after failed business attempts abroad, but the father denies this. Afan came to Saudi on a visit visa and was not doing any business here, he said.
‘Peaceful and religious’
Neighbours and people’s representatives in the area vouch for the mild and gentle nature of Afan and his family. He was a bit withdrawn but never stood out in the neighbourhood, they said. “He was peaceful and observed all the religious practices,” said a representative. The family was also well-regarded in the area.
What muddles police theories is the presence of Afan’s girlfriend Farzana among the victims. Because of this, the police are also probing whether any objection to their marriage was a reason for the mass murders. Farzana is a postgraduate student from neighbouring district of Kollam, and was seen at Afan’s house prior to the incident.
However, Afan’s father denied this in a media interview from Dammam. “It is normal for youngsters these days to move around with their friends and he doesn’t see any point in objecting to this,” he said.
Source: Gulf News
