Cadell Jensen Raja, the man accused of the brutal murder of four members of his family at Nanthencaud in Thiruvananthapuram, is not mentally fit to undergo trials in the case, psychiatrists have told the court.
This came after doctors observed Cadell for about 20 days.
The medical team submitted the report in this regard in a sealed cover through prison authorities on Monday and the district magistrate considered the case in open court on Tuesday.
As per the report, Cadell had symptoms of schizophrenia.
It is also recommended in the report that Cadell needs continuous psychiatric treatment.
Cadell was shifted to Government Mental Health Centre at Peroorkada from the district jail at Poojapura after he showed ‘abnormal’ behaviour on April 25 and was under observation for the last 20 days.
According to police, Cadell behaved violently inside the jail on the night of April 24, following which he was shifted to the hospital.
Cadell was being monitored by a medical team comprising four psychiatrists, led by senior consultant psychiatrist Dr. OS Selvam.
The Times of India quotes a doctor from the Mental Health centre as saying, “His parents might have never realised this and his condition could have aggravated as years passed without being treated.”
Cadell, who claimed to be a computer animation expert, was arrested for allegedly hacking to death his father Raja Thankam, mother Jean Padma, sister Caroline and his mother's aunt Lalitha Jane.
After committing the murder, he burnt their bodies.
The incident came to light when a fire broke out in his house in the process of burning the bodies.