Kevin and Neenu had registered their wedding on Friday under the Special Marriage Act at Kottayam district, but their happiness was short lived. Hours after the wedding, Kevin was abducted from his residence in Kottayam by an armed gang on the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Though Neenu, Kevin's family and friends searched for him frantically, Kevin's body was found on Monday morning at Chaliyekkara, a few miles away from Thenmala in Kollam. A case has been filed against the bride's kin, who were opposed to the marriage, based on her complaint.
Kevin P Joseph (23), an electrician from Kottayam, registered his marriage with Neenu from Kollam in Ettamanur on Saturday. The duo had been in a relationship for two years.
"On Sunday around 1 am, a gang of armed men entered his house, wreaked havoc and kidnapped Kevin and his friend Aneesh (30). According to his wife Neenu's complaint, her brother and others are involved in the abduction. Kevin is a Dalit Christian and the girl's father is a Christian, while her mother is a Muslim. Her brother has opposed the wedding. Police have taken into custody one accused in the abduction and have also seized an Innova used by the gang," said an officer at the Gandhinagar station, where Neenu filed a missing complaint on Sunday.
When the missing complaint was filed on Sunday, the police reportedly adopted a lax attitude and said that there was a dearth of personnel due to the visit of CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
"When we registered our wedding and came to the station to show all the documents, the Sub Inspector promised that I cannot be sent back to my dad's home without my permission since I am 21. Later on when I came here, the same people called up my father and asked me to take me back. I was forcibly taken back home. But I returned. After that I signed a letter and submitted it to the station and was allowed to go back with my husband. My family issued several death threats after that," Neenu told Manorama news.
According to Kevin's friend Aneesh (30) who was also abducted and beaten up severely by the gang, the accused had let him off after he agreed to bring Neenu back to the family on being blackmailed. They also told him that Aneesh had jumped off the car somewhere near Puthanapuram, on the way to Kollam.
"I told them that I wanted to vomit and they let me out of the car. Then they said I will be let off if I agreed to bring Neenu back. There were two cars and Kevin was being taken in the other car. When I asked where he was, they also told me that Kevin has escaped," Aneesh told Manorama TV.
Investigations are currently going on in the abduction and murder case against Neenu's family, based on her complaint. She is currently admitted to the Kottayam Medical College hospital.
"When the missing complaint was filed in Gandhinagar station on Sunday, the police officers in charge did not pay adequate attention to it and said that they would be able to attend to it only after the CM's visit," said an officer involved with the investigation.
Two people have been held so far, both from the DYFI and friends of Neenu's brother.
According to reports, a probe will be conducted against the Gandhinagar SI for failing to act on time. Kottayam Superintendent of Police VM Mohammed Rafiq has been transferred. The postmortem is being done in the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.