a day ago
Murder case cracked after 16 months, two held
Kozhikode City police have solved a 16-month-old murder case bearing eerie similarities to the Malayalam film Drishyam, following the recovery of skeletal remains from Cherambadi forest in Tamil Nadu on Saturday (June 28, 2025). The remains were identified as those of Hemachandran, 52, a native of Wayanad, who had been reported missing from Kozhikode on March 20, 2024.
Two Wayanad natives — Jyothish Kumar, 32, and B.S. Ajesh, 27 — have been arrested for allegedly abducting Hemachandran from Kozhikode under the pretext of a financial deal and taking him to the Cherambadi forest. Police said an intensified search was on to nab prime suspect Noushad and a woman who allegedly assisted the gang.
Based on the statements of the arrested men, the body — which had been secretly buried — was exhumed from the Cherambadi forest with the assistance of police and forensic teams from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Forest and Revenue officials were also present during the operation. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Medical College) A. Umesh and Inspector P.K. Jijeesh led the special investigation team formed under District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) T. Narayanan and Deputy Commissioner of Police Arun K. Pavithran.
'A DNA test will be conducted to confirm the victim's identity as part of legal procedures. The suspects were traced through scientific analysis of cell tower data and the victim's call records,' said a senior officer from the special investigation team. He added that the missing person case, which was later found to be a planned abduction and murder, came to light after the victim's wife filed a complaint..
Before his disappearance, Hemachandran had been living in a rented house near Mayanad in Kozhikode for his private chit fund business. Police said he had financial disputes with the suspects, which eventually led to his alleged abduction and murder. He was reportedly called to the Kozhikode Medical College premises with the help of a woman, from where he was forcibly taken to Cherambadi.
