Thiruvananthapuram: Afan (23), the lone accused in the mass killings at Venjaramoodu, has confessed to the police that he murdered his girlfriend, Farsana, out of revenge.
Afan had borrowed money after pledging Farsana’s gold chain at a private financial firm during a financial crisis. When Farsana’s parents noticed the chain was missing, they questioned her. Following this, Farsana asked Afan to settle the gold loan and return her chain immediately. Left with no other option, Afan mortgaged his father’s car at a private financial enterprise in Attingal and retrieved Farsana’s gold chain.
In his statement to the police, Afan admitted that he was upset with Farsana for pressuring him during his financial difficulties.
Determined to take revenge, Afan devised a plan to trap Farsana. During interrogation, he revealed that he lured her home by telling her that his sick mother wanted to meet her. He had convinced Farsana that his mother, a cancer patient, was in critical condition.
Following the arrest in the case, he told police that he murdered his girlfriend fearing that she would not be able to live alone without him. But now, he changed his statement and opened up about the revenge killing.
On February 25, Afan killed Farsana (22), his younger brother Afsan (14), his grandmother Salma Beevi (88), his paternal uncle Abdul Latheef (69), and Abdul Latheef’s wife, Shajida (59). His mother, Shemi, who survived the attack, was rushed to a private hospital in the capital city. The accused who attempted suicide by consuming rat poison was hospitalised after the crime.
During the interrogation, Afan told the police that his first target was his mother, whom he blamed for debts amounting to lakhs. After attacking her, he locked her inside a room and hid the key in a closet. According to the police, Afan attacked his mother again after finding her alive when he returned home after other murders.
On Saturday, police recovered this key during evidence collection at his home in Perumala.
Afan, who is currently in police custody, was taken to the crime scenes on Friday and Saturday for evidence collection.
