Daughter-in-law main suspect in NRI's murder
Karnavar was strangulated while on a visit to his hometown in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: The death of a wealthy non-resident Indian (NRI) found dead in his house in Kerala on Sunday has been traced to his family members, with his daughter-in-law being the main suspect.
Police suspect that Bhaskara Karnavar, an NRI who has for long been based in the US but frequently visited his home in Chengannur, Kerala, is suspected to have been done to death at the behest of people within the family.
Police have arrested his daughter-in-law, Sherin, in connection with the murder.
It is suspected that a gang of three persons were involved in strangulating Karnavar to death at his residence, and that the motive may have been to wrest a share of the family wealth.
Sherin is the wife of Karnavar's son Binu, while another son Biju and a daughter, Betsy, both of them based in the US, have since flown home following their father's murder.
Police suspect that the murder may have been carried out as per the instruction of 28-year-old Sherin. Police are on the trail of the others suspected to have been involved in the murder.
Missing articles
A laptop and a gold chain were among the articles missing from the home following the murder of Karnavar, who was found dead in his bedroom, with some chilly powder sprinkled around the body.
The 65-year-old Karnavar is learnt to have been quite wealthy and police suspect that the murder may have been the result of some family squabble over the sharing of property.
Karnavar, who has been shuttling between the US and Kerala for over two decades, had recently returned to his hometown in Cheriyanadu in Chengannur.
Police are also interrogating the servants attached to the family and the driver, for more clues into the murder. It is learnt that a police team has left for Karnataka following hints that some of the accused had fled to that state.
The murder had shocked people in the area, known to have a high density of NRIs who have either returned to Kerala for good or who are annual visitors to their hometown from different countries.
