38 years of guilt: Kerala man, in his 50s, confesses to killing unknown man in 1986; police reopen stream death case | Kochi News
NEW DELHI: A 52-year-old man named Muhammadali walked into a police station in Vengara, Malappuram district of Kerala on Friday, confessing to a killing he claims to have committed as a 14-year-old in 1986. He revealed that the burden of guilt became unbearable after recent personal tragedies struck his family.Muhammadali told police he was working on Devassya’s property in Koodaranji village, Kozhikode district, when the incident occurred. He said a man tried to harass him, and in self-defense, he kicked the man who fell into a nearby stream.The teenager fled the scene in panic but returned two days later to find the man’s body still in the water. He kept quiet about the incident for nearly four decades.
At the time, police treated the death as natural, as locals reported the man was known to have epilepsy. No one came forward to identify the body, and the case was forgotten.Muhammadali’s confession came after experiencing personal tragedies. His elder son died, and his younger son was seriously injured in an accident.He informed the police that he couldn’t sleep after the tragedy struck his family.The police are taking his confession seriously. Muhammadali led investigators to the scene and showed them where the body was found.A police team led by Thiruvambady Station House Officer K Prajeesh is now searching through old files and newspaper reports to identify the victim.The only surviving record is a brief news report from December 5, 1986, which states: “Koodaranji: Body of a young man found in a small stream behind Mission Hospital. Estimated age: 20.”Muhammadali is now in judicial custody, and police have filed a murder case against him.
