History-sheeter arrested in Perambra woman's murder

KOZHIKODE: Police arrested Kondotty native Mujeeb Rahman (49), a history-sheeter who has around 60 criminal cases registered in his name, for killing Perambra native Anu K (24) on Monday morning and taking her gold ornaments. District police chief (Koz Rural) Aravind Sukumar said Rahman, who was riding a stolen motorcycle, saw Anu hurriedly walking on the road to meet her husband who was waiting at the next junction to take him to a hospital.He offered her a lift.
"When they reached a nearby stream, he stopped saying he wanted to urinate and when she got down from the vehicle, he pushed her into the stream, dragged her down the culvert, kept her head down in the waters and killed her. He escaped with her golden bracelet, chain, anklet and rings," he said.
Residents found her body in the canal on Tuesday noon and police became suspicious as her ornaments were missing and there wasn't enough water in the stream for drowning. Police said Rahman forced her head underwater by stamping on her. A resident gave a statement that she saw Anu on a stranger's motorcycle and this strengthened their suspicions. "The autopsy report showed there were pressure marks on her body, following his attempts to restrain her and there was mud in her airways which pointed to pressing her head in the streambed," Sukumar said.
CCTV footage obtained from the area showed a motorcycle moving towards Ulliyeri at 10am. Police examined footage from 100 CCTVs and found that it belonged to Mattannur native Noufal who had filed a complaint that his bike was stolen early on March 11.
"We prepared a list of criminals who followed the MO of gold thefts and those who were released recently from jail and Rahman became our prime suspect. Though we got CCTV visuals of the bike going to Malappuram, the rider was wearing a helmet. With the help of cyber cell and Malappuram police we were able to locate and take him into custody in a joint operation," he said.
Police said after killing Anu, Rahman abandoned the motorcycle, helmet and jacket at Edavannappara in Malappuram. Rahman also tried to attack the policemen who came to his residence in Kondotty and one policeman was injured as he was attacked using a glass piece.
Sukumar said police were able to recover Anu's ornaments he had sold with the help of a friend in Malappuram. Police have also nabbed the friend. Sources said Mujeeb stole 5.5 sovereigns of gold from Anu.