India News | Suspect in Kerala Infopark Flat Murder Case Caught from Kasaragod: Police
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A man suspected of having killed his roommate, whose body was found in a flat near Infopark here a day ago, was caught from Kasaragod district on Wednesday as he tried to escape from Kerala, police said.
Kochi, Aug 17 (PTI) A man suspected of having killed his roommate, whose body was found in a flat near Infopark here a day ago, was caught from Kasaragod district on Wednesday as he tried to escape from Kerala, police said.
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The killing was allegedly a result of a drug-related row between the accused and the victim and when the former was apprehended, a commercial quantity of MDMA was recovered from his possession.
As per the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, more than 10 grams of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA is considered commercial quantity.
The body of Malappuram-native Sajeev was found wrapped in a bedsheet from the flat on Tuesday afternoon after some of his other roommates returned from a trip, police had said.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam told a TV channel that the accused will be first remanded in Kasaragod in a narcotics case and thereafter, he will be brought here on a production remand and interrogated.
The officer said that such incidents can be avoided if Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) as well as the local populace keep the police informed about the newcomers or strangers in their neighbourhoods.
He said there were three murder cases in Kochi in the last 10 days and each crime was committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Besides, it also indicated a spike in crime in the city but it was not confined only to Kochi or Kerala and was happening across India, the officer said.
"There are a lot of sociological factors contributing to this," he added.
With regard to steps being taken by the police to prevent such crimes, usually fuelled by drugs and alcohol, Nagaraju said that station house officers (SHOs) have been holding several meetings with RWAs every month and trying to ensure there is no gap in communication.
However, RWAs and the local populace too have to be vigilant and immediately report to the police any criminal or other untoward incidents or disturbances involving strangers or outsiders in their localities, he said.
"In a city like Kochi, only prompt action can prevent such incidents," Nagaraju said.
He further said that while providing accommodation on rent to strangers, landlords should request for a police verification of the prospective tenants.
In the instant case, the suspect was an accused in a theft case in Malappuram and was absconding from there when he moved into the apartment complex where the killing of Sajeev took place, the officer said.
Landlords should also avoid or be discouraged from having multiple tenants or permitting sub-tenancy, the officer said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)