The special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Kozhikode City police has arrested one more person who reportedly had direct involvement in the alleged abduction and murder of Hemachandran, a Kozhikode-based businessman.
Melbin Mathew, the fifth accused in the incident, was nabbed on Sunday (August 17) after the police collected strong evidence establishing his close contact with the other four partners in the alleged crime. Four Wayanad natives — P.V. Noushad, 33, Jyothish Kumar, 32, and B.S. Ajesh, 27 and V.V. Vysakh, 28 — had already been arrested in connection with the incident.
Police sources said that Melbin was aware of the alleged conspiracy behind the abduction and murder of the 52-year-old following some financial deals. They said he was present in the car, which was used for the alleged abduction.
It was on June 28 that the police cracked the murder case, which was initially registered as a case of man missing at the Kozhikode Medical College police station. The SIT zeroed in on the five suspects after a 16-month-long probe with the support of the Kozhikode City cyber cell and crime squad.
Hemachandran, a Wayanad native, had temporarily settled at Mayanad in Kozhikode for his private chit fund business. The SIT found that he was abducted from Kozhikode city on March 20, 2024, and later murdered in Wayanad following some financial disputes. The successful recovery of the secretly buried body from the Cherambadi forest in Tamil Nadu was a major breakthrough in the investigation.
Published – August 17, 2025 09:08 pm IST
