Thiruvananthapuram: A property dispute involving assets worth more than Rs 60 crore allegedly led to the murder of Jayamadhavan Nair (63) at Koodathil in Karamana in 2017, crime branch sources said. The investigating agency alleges that the main accused, Raveendran Nair (60), a former caretaker of the Koodathil family, forged a will to claim the estate and conspired with two others to murder him. Raveendran was arrested on Oct 13.Crime branch sleuths are preparing to seek the custody of Raveendran next week for further questioning as they continue to examine the alleged conspiracy and the role of others in the case.According to sources, Jayamadhavan had no wife, children or other legal heirs. Police allege that Raveendran knew the disputed will would become legally effective only after Jayamadhavan’s death. The prospect of marriage proposals for Jayamadhavan allegedly threatened Raveendran’s expected inheritance, prompting the conspiracy.The alleged murder took place on the night of April 1, 2017, after domestic worker Leela had left the house. Raveendran allegedly called two others to the residence. Following an argument over marriage proposals, he allegedly struck Jayamadhavan’s head against a wall. The three then restrained him on a bed and suffocated him with a pillow, said the documents accessed by TOI.The accused took Jayamadhavan to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital on April 2 morning to make the death appear natural. He was declared dead at the hospital. Karamana police initially registered a case of unnatural death under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The postmortem examination did not immediately establish the cause of death, with the opinion reserved pending histopathological examination.The investigation took a different turn in 2019 after a complaint over the disputed will led to the registration of a separate case on Oct 17. A crime branch team subsequently took over the investigation into the property-related case and Jayamadhavan’s death.Documents said that forensic examination found the signature attributed to Jayamadhavan on the disputed will to be forged. The police also subjected Raveendran to brain mapping at the Karnataka state forensic science laboratory in Bengaluru. The findings were interpreted by the police as indicating significant experiential knowledge relating to the alleged murder.The investigators cited concerns that Raveendran, if granted bail, could influence witnesses, destroy evidence or obstruct the probe. The allegations against him and the other accused are yet to be established in court.
