Kerala hotel owner killed, chopped body parts found in abandoned trolley bags

Three people, including a former hotel worker and a woman, were arrested in connection with the matter

A hotel owner from Malappuram in Kerala was murdered, and his body was chopped and dumped in a gorge at Attapadi in the neighbouring Palakkad district. The murder took place in Kozhikode district.

Three persons, including a former hotel worker and a woman, were held by the police in this connection.

Police identified the deceased as Siddique (58), from Ezhur Mecheri near Tirur in Malappuram. He was running a hotel at Olavanna in Kozhikode, and the murder took place at a hotel in Eranhipalam in Kozhikode.

The police have arrested Shibili (22), a former employee of Siddique's hotel, Shibili's friend Farhana (19), and her friend Ashique alias Chikku. Shibili and Farhana were arrested from Chennai.

Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das S said that the murder was suspected to have taken place on May 18 or 19. An exact motive for the killing could be ascertained only after the interrogation of those held.

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Local sources said that Shibili worked only for a brief period at Siddique's hotel, and he was terminated last week owing to some complaints against him. Police recovered CCTV footage of Shibili and Farhana carrying two trolley bags from the hotel.

Siddique's family had lodged a missing complaint at the Tirur police station on May 22. The family also alleged that huge amounts were withdrawn from the bank accounts used by Siddiqu with ATM cards and through UPI transactions in recent days. A probe into the complaint revealed the heinous crime.

All the accused are natives of Palakkad. Farhana had earlier filed a sexual assault complaint against Shibili while she was a minor and a case under POCSO Act was registered against him. Shibili and Ashique were also suspected to be involved in drug peddling.