It ought to have been an open-and-shut case: an 82-year-old bicycle owner is hit by a automotive in Kerala in Might, the motive force goes into hiding, the bicycle owner dies a day after the accident, the motive force surrenders earlier than the police a number of days later and is then launched on bail.
And that’s what it was — an open-and-shut case — until a stray comment by one in every of C Pappachan’s acquaintances on discrepancies in his native deposit account left the sufferer’s estranged daughter curious since her father was extraordinarily properly off however didn’t spend cash on something, not even on a car to commute throughout Kollam metropolis.
Her curiosity not solely blew the lid off the plot to disguise Pappachan’s homicide as a hit-and-run case, but in addition led to the arrest of a banking skilled three months later in August. Saritha, 45, allegedly employed a gang to kill Pappachan, a retired assistant basic supervisor with BSNL, to cover all traces of her embezzlement from his Rs 76-lakh deposit at her monetary establishment.
Estranged from his household, Pappachan lived on their lonesome in Kollam. His spouse, a retired faculty trainer, lived nearly 100 km away in Kottayam, whereas his son is within the Center East and daughter in Uttar Pradesh.
Pappachan was driving his bicycle on a abandoned stretch in Kollam on Might 23, when he was hit by a automotive. He died within the hospital the subsequent day. A success-and-run case was registered and the police managed to trace down the automotive by analyzing footage from a number of CCTV cameras alongside the route. Days later, automotive driver Animon, 44, surrendered earlier than the police however was launched on bail.
After the mourning interval ended, Pappachan’s daughter visited the department of Muthoottu Mini Nidhi Restricted in Kollam the place her father had an account to investigate concerning the alleged discrepancies in his funds. Nevertheless, she didn’t obtain a passable response from department supervisor Saritha.
“A department worker hinted at misappropriation of Pappachan’s funds. Realising that a large chunk of her father’s deposit was lacking, the daughter filed a criticism over her considerations on his Might 23 accident. We determined to reopen the case,” Kollam Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) S Shereef, who led the probe within the case, informed The Indian Express.
The police began by trying into the decision element data (CDR) of accused driver Animon, who was a history-sheeter. “Animon was in fixed contact with one quantity because the second week of Might. That quantity belonged to Saritha, the supervisor of the department the place Pappachan had a deposit. That bought us questioning what enterprise may a banking official probably have with a history-sheeter,” says the officer.
Even because the police had been investigating the hyperlink between Saritha and Animon, Pappachan’s household filed a criticism with the monetary agency over “unexplained” transactions in his deposit account. A probe by the corporate revealed that Saritha had misappropriated Rs 25 lakh from Pappachan’s deposit account. Although she returned the quantity instantly, she and department govt Ok P Anoop, 37, had been fired by the corporate on June 25.
In the meantime the police found the hyperlink between Saritha and Animon. Saritha labored with one other monetary agency in Kollam 5 years in the past and that agency had engaged Animon to assist repossess automobiles from house owners who had defaulted on loans. Saritha, who knew Animon since then, bought in contact with him in Might 2024.
In keeping with the police, Pappachan was rich however “selected to reside like a miser”. “In addition to the deposit of Rs 76 lakh, he had additionally invested within the share market. Spending cash didn’t deliver him the happiness that increase his financial savings did. He lived like a miser. As a substitute of a car, he selected to maneuver across the metropolis on a bicycle. On the time of his dying, Pappachan was utilizing a rope as a belt,’’ says a police officer.
Regardless of his sizable deposit at Sarita’s department, which grew to Rs 76 lakh by early 2024, Pappachan all of a sudden realised that he was not incomes any curiosity. Following his enquiry, a department worker knowledgeable Pappachan that Saritha had taken 4 loans towards his account. Regardless of her denials, Pappachan saved calling Saritha on the workplace landline and demanding solutions relating to the discrepancy of almost Rs 48 lakh in his deposit account.
Realising that Pappachan was in no temper to relent, Saritha determined to do away with him. “She and the others on the agency had been conscious that Pappachan was estranged from his household. She assumed that his household was at the hours of darkness relating to his wealth and easily needed to pocket his desposit. She by no means anticipated his daughter to show up with questions on discrepancies in his deposit account,’’ says ACP Shereef.
In keeping with the police, Saritha contacted Animon, a contract killer, in Might, claiming that “Pappachan’s son” needed to kill his father over a property dispute. The subsequent day, Saritha launched her department govt Anoop as “Pappachan’s son” to Animon. A deal was struck for Rs 2 lakh and Animon was given an advance fee of Rs 20,000.
The assembly was adopted by a number of failed makes an attempt by Animon’s gang to hit Pappachan’s cycle with an autorickshaw. Again on the department, Saritha was beneath immense strain from Pappachan, who was rising more and more agitated over his lacking funds. Police say she bought so livid with Animon over his failed homicide makes an attempt that she reportedly informed him “she had good individuals at her disposal if he was incapable of executing the homicide”.
To hold out the hit efficiently, Animon borrowed a automotive from an acquaintance. At midday on Might 23, department govt Anoop known as Pappachan on the cellphone and requested him to fulfill Saritha at a brand new location so they might talk about his monetary points over a cup of tea. As quickly as Pappachan left on his bicycle, Anoop began tailing him on his bike. Anoop additionally shared Pappachan’s location with Animon, who was ready within the automotive. As quickly as Pappachan reached a lonely stretch, Animon hit his bicycle from behind and ran him over earlier than fleeing the spot.
One among Animon’s gang members was deputed as a lookout on the accident website. In keeping with the plan, he rushed in the direction of Pappachan as quickly as he noticed different locals run in the direction of him. The gang member allegedly delayed first help to Pappachan by insisting that solely an ambulance ought to shift him to a hospital. He died within the hospital the subsequent day, on Might 24.
For Saritha, Pappachan’s dying was just the start of extra troubles. Laying low in Kochi, round 130 km from Kollam, after the homicide, Animon and his gang began blackmailing Saritha. As a substitute of Rs 2 lakh for killing the octogenarian, the gang managed to extract almost Rs 18 lakh from Saritha. Threatening to disclose the accident plot to the police, the person who had lent his automotive to Animon pressured Saritha to pay him Rs 3 lakh in alternate for his silence.
After the investigation confirmed that Pappachan was killed beneath the guise of a hit-and-run, the police on August 8 arrested Saritha, her former colleague Anoop, Animon and two of his associates. All 5 accused belong to Kollam.