Police investigate the crime scene after a 23-year-old man allegedly killed five people, including four of his close family members, in Thiruvananthapuram district
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Financial liabilities worth around Rs 65 lakh are suspected to be the sole reason behind the mass murder of five family members by a youth in Thiruvananthapuram.
Police sources said that mounting financial liabilities of the family and pressure from lenders for repayment prompted 23-year-old Afan to go on a killing spree. Though he had originally planned a mass suicide, it did not work out.
It was after his father Abdul Rahim's business in Saudi Arabia collapsed that the family started borrowing money from various sources over the last few years. At present the family owed around Rs 65 lakh to 14 persons. Some lenders had started putting pressure for repayment and some were even insulting Afan and his mother. Afan also used to send money to his father.
Being the elder son of the family, pressure was mounting on Afan to pay off the debt. His attempts to clear the debts by selling off their house also went futile.
"So far we did not come across any reasons other than the financial stress," a police officer in the investigation team told DH.
The police are also seeking the services of psychiatrists and phycologists to examine the mental health of Afan. So far, the police have not receive any reports of drug abuse by the accused. "He used to drink alcohol, but only occasionally," the officer said.
Meanwhile, Rahim, who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia owing to financial issues, managed to come back to Thiruvananthapuram on Friday following intervention of Malayali NRI social workers.
It was on Monday when the mass murder at Venjaramoodu in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram sent shockwaves across Kerala. Afan killed his younger brother, his (Afan's) lover, paternal grandmother, father's brother and wife. He also attacked his mother Shemmi with the intention of killing her but, she survived the attack. She is yet to recover.
Shemmi is not yet aware of the killing spree by her son. She told the police that she got injured after falling from a cot. Her statement is likely to be recorded by a magistrate at the hospital soon.