‘Kerala Crime Files’ Season 2 Ending Explained: From Killer Reveal to Puzzling Last Scene, Decoding Finale of Arjun Radhakrishnan and Aju Varghese’s Murder-Mystery Series (SPOILER ALERT)

Kerala Crime Files became the first JioHotstar Malayalam series to get a second season - and what's more, it’s the best yet. Directed by Ahammed Khabeer and scripted by Bahul Ramesh of Kishkindha Kaandam fame, the new season features returning leads Aju Varghese and Lal in supporting roles. Taking over the reins is Arjun Radhakrishnan, who stars as rookie cop SI Noble. And if you're a dog lover, there's even more reason to embrace this season - one that returns in much-improved form with a deeper mystery and an intelligent screenplay that refuses to dumb things down for viewers. ‘Kerala Crime Files’ Season 2 Review: A Gripping Upgrade With Sharp Writing, Tighter Mystery and Solid Performances.

Still confused about some of the details in Kerala Crime Files Season 2? Don’t worry - we’re here to help. But be warned: major spoilers ahead, as we dive into the identity of the antagonist, their motivations, and how the crimes were committed.

We'll also try to answer questions that fans have been debating on Reddit threads. I may go off on some tangents - feel free to call those out on social media!

The Plot of 'Kerala Crime Files' Season 2

SI Noble, a rookie cop with negligible field experience, is transferred to a police station in Thiruvananthapuram, where the entire staff has been reshuffled following a corruption scandal. CI Kurian Avaran (Lal) is the new station in-charge. While handing out transfer orders, Noble and Kurian discover that CPO Ambili Raju (Indrans), a respected and well-connected officer with ties across both the force and the criminal underworld, has mysteriously gone missing.

Watch the Trailer of 'Kerala Crime Files' S2:

As the investigation unfolds - with Manoj (Aju Varghese) joining in when Ambili’s disappearance links to Karnataka cops caught with bribe money allegedly given by him - they trace connections to Ayyappan, a reformed criminal who is now married to Ambili’s ex-wife and works as a driver at a shelter for retired police dogs. The mystery deepens when Ayyappan also goes missing. What happened to these two men forms the crux of the season’s plot.

SPOILERS AHEAD...

Yes, they were killed - and their body parts were fed to stray dogs.

Now, let's get into the major revelations from the finale.

How the Season Tricks Us About the Killer

The murderer of both Ambili Raju and Ayyappan turns out to be Jaismon (Sirajudheen Nazar), introduced in the opening scene as one of the handlers of police dog Terry. During a museum theft investigation, Terry behaves erratically - destroying the crime scene, swallowing objects including a pin-holder and a valuable ring, and even biting Jaismon. We also see flashbacks to Jaismon’s childhood, his close bond with his dog Tippu, and his violent reaction when kids attack Tippu. But we don't know it’s Jaismon at that point — the show withholds his identity, leading us to believe the boy might be Ayyappan, who is also shown to be fond of dogs.

Jaismon disappears from the narrative until the final episode, returning only when Noble questions Terry’s main handler, Sudhi, about why the dog’s CCDS (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome) - a form of Alzheimer's that affects canines - was concealed. Sudhi admits Jaismon pressured him to keep quiet, revealing the depth of Jaismon’s attachment to the dog — and that’s when Noble, and we as viewers, start to suspect him.

How The Opening Museum Act Connects to the Main Mystery

Poor Terry is key to the entire mystery. Sudhi and Jaismon tried to hide Terry’s CCDS, but his condition worsened at the museum, causing him to misidentify objects and people. He swallowed the ring during the museum investigation, which was later presumed stolen.

The shelter’s vet discovered the ring had lodged in the dog’s spleen after a pin-holder passed through his digestive tract, causing internal injury. She deduced Terry’s pain came from ingesting the ring after reviewing crime scene photos. Since Ayyappan was driving her around during this period, it's likely he learnt about it too.

We can infer that Ayyappan eventually shared this information with Ambili Raju, although not in front of his wife - which is why she doesn’t know what Ambili asked Ayyappan to do.

Ayyappan and Ambili Raju's Grave Crime

Ambili Raju may not be corrupt in a monetary sense, but he is someone who helps both cops and criminals - and expects them to be grateful in return. In that vein, he aids in rehabilitating Ayyappan after his prison term, helps him secure a job, and even arranges for him to marry his first wife. When Ambili Raju is caught in a sting operation by Karnataka police for assisting the goon Mithilaaj, they demand a bribe of INR 10 lakh from him. Ayyappan, who doesn’t accept bribes and has no savings, becomes desperate to secure the amount in order to maintain his clean and respectable image. So, Ambili coerces him into committing an unforgivable crime to get the money - kill Terry to get the ring. And since Ayyappan was a dog-lover, he was uncomfortable with the idea but was forced to go along with Ambili's plan out of loyalty towards him.

As these events are revealed to us through eyewitness accounts, and because Ambili Raju never discusses his intentions in front of Ayyappan’s wife, the police are initially unaware of what the two men were plotting. It’s only after questioning the manager of the dog shelter that the gravity of their crime becomes clear.

On Ambili Raju’s instructions, Ayyappan disembowels Terry to retrieve the ring, and with the help of a contact in prison, manages to sell it in Coimbatore for INR 15 lakh. He plans to escape with the money alongside his wife, but she refuses, unwilling to betray Ambili, possibly out of loyalty or fear of his power and influence. Ayyappan also borrows a friend’s car for the trip and instructs him to report it stolen, in an attempt to mislead the police.

Why the Vet and Shelter In-Charge Stayed Quiet

The vet admits she didn’t initially report the ring because she wanted to ensure Terry could survive the surgery. She feared that if authorities knew about the ring too soon, they might rush a procedure that would kill him. After Terry’s death, guilt and fear of reprisal kept her silent - until Noble's team came knocking.

Similarly, the shelter home in-charge concealed Ayyappan's crime, as revealing it would have put their jobs at risk. To begin with, it’s unlikely they knew about the ring. They only covered up Ayyappan’s actions and fabricated a 'natural' cause of death for the dog. Admitting the truth would not only expose a serious crime but also bring the shelter’s security protocols into question - especially given that they had hired an ex-convict as a driver.

Why and How Jaismon Kills Ayyappan and Ambili Raju

Through the childhood flashbacks, we learn that Jaismon has a deep attachment to dogs. Having been Terry’s handler for six years, he loved the dog dearly. This is why he pressured Sudhi to conceal Terry’s CCDS (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome) for as long as possible - because once it was discovered, Terry would be sent to a shelter and both handlers would be reassigned. Even though Terry no longer recognised them, Jaismon hoped to adopt him, even enlisting the support of his seniors. Unfortunately, the dog was killed before that could happen, and Jaismon learnt from the vet that Ayyappan was responsible.

Although it’s not explicitly shown, we can infer that Jaismon began tracking Ayyappan and may have kidnapped him after his return from Coimbatore. This explains why Ambili Raju is unable to contact Ayyappan in the first episode. Jaismon likely rented an isolated house near Kochi, brought Ayyappan there, and tortured him to learn why he killed Terry. Upon learning about Ambili Raju’s involvement, Jaismon killed Ayyappan - and then turned his attention to Ambili.

Going by Manoj's theory, Jaismon travelled to Thiruvananthapuram in the blue car belonging to Ayyappan’s friend, intending to confront Ambili Raju. To gain his trust, he brought the money bag and used Ayyappan’s phone to message Ambili, asking him to get into the car. Posing as Ayyappan’s friend, he even drove Ambili to meet the Karnataka cops to complete the handover. It’s believed that following this meeting, Jaismon murdered Ambili Raju, dismembered the body at his home, and disposed of the remains at a stadium in Kochi - where stray dogs fed on them.

How Does Noble Realise Jaismon Is Not Dead Yet?

When Noble and his team arrived at Jaismon's hideout to arrest him, they found him hanging from a ceiling fan, apparently dead by suicide. While searching the house for clues, the electricity suddenly returned, and the fan on which Jaismon had hanged himself began to rotate. It was then that Noble recalled the power had gone out in the area just as they were approaching the house. He deduced that Jaismon, likely having heard them coming - especially when their boat noisily struck the jetty - had used the brief window of time to commit suicide.

Had Jaismon hanged himself earlier, he would have needed to switch off the fan beforehand - which clearly hadn’t happened. Kerala Crime Files Review: Aju Varghese and Lal’s Malayalam Series Is a Well-Knit Investigative Thriller That Loses Its Grip Near the End.

Realising the timing was tight, Noble quickly held onto Jaismon’s leg and asked his colleague to check for a pulse, and thankfully, there was one.

Why Noble and Jaismon Smile at the Stadium

Let’s start with Noble, as his situation is a bit more complex. We’ve already discussed how and why Jaismon carried out the murders, but much of that is based on deduction. Noble’s stadium theory and Manoj’s car theory, combined with their knowledge of Jaismon’s emotional attachment to the dog and his awareness that Ayyappan was the killer, helped them piece things together. However, there was no direct evidence linking Jaismon to the crimes - even the blood had been scrubbed from his hideout. The dog route mapping wouldn't stand up in court either. And they couldn’t extract a confession from Jaismon, as he was unable to speak due to injuries from his suicide attempt.

Convinced nonetheless of Jaismon’s guilt, Manoj calls in SCPO Pradeep - his former team member and an experienced chargesheet expert - to fabricate evidence at Jaismon’s hideout and strengthen the case against him.

Noble, however, is uneasy about this. He still harbours doubts about whether Jaismon is truly the killer. But when they bring Jaismon to the stadium where the bodies were disposed of, something unexpected happens. The street dogs still lingering in the arena - hoping to be fed again - wag their tails in recognition and what seems like gratitude upon seeing Jaismon. At that moment, Noble smiles. Because even if the legal evidence is faked, the dogs' response affirms his instincts and deductions: Jaismon really was the killer.

As for Jaismon's smile, one might assume it comes from seeing the dogs remember him. Perhaps, in his mind, they are saluting him for what he did, and that gives him a sense of peace.

PS - Loved the end-credits cast section in the final episode, where the credits began with Jaismon’s actor, Sirajudheen Nazar, followed by all the main dogs featured in the episode, with their pictures, though that gesture is not extended to the rest of the cast.

All six episodes of Kerala Crime Files Season 2, along with the previous episodes of season 1, are streaming on JioHotstar.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2025 09:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).