Three arrested over finding of Kozhikode hotelier's dismembered body in suitcases
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Kozhikode: The dismembered body parts of a middle-aged hotelier were discovered inside two suitcases, submerged in a stream in Kerala's Palakkad district's Attappady. The victim, identified as 58-year-old Siddique owned a prominent hotel in Kozhikode. Authorities have apprehended three suspects in connection with the gruesome murder.
Police have identified the main suspects as Shibly, a recently hired employee at Siddique's hotel, and his accomplices, Farhana and Ashiq alias Chikku. While Ashiq has been taken into custody by the Tirur police, Shibly and Farhana were arrested at the Chennai railway station by Railway police. They are now being transported to Kerala for further investigation.
The motive behind this heinous crime is yet to be established, as authorities continue to question the suspects. Siddique was reported missing on May 18, with his mobile phone switched off and no trace of his whereabouts.
Concerned, Siddique's family filed a complaint with the Tirur police, who promptly launched an inquiry. During the investigation, it was discovered that money was being withdrawn from Siddique's account, leading to the identification of the suspects through CCTV footage.
The footage also revealed Shibly and Farhana transporting two trolley bags, believed to contain the victim's remains, in Siddique's car from De Casa hotel, where the murder is suspected to have taken place.
Malappuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Suraj Das explained that the suspects were tracked down using CCTV footage and mobile phone tower data. With the assistance of the fire and rescue services, the victim's body was recovered from Attapady's Agali area.
The exact motive for the murder and the method employed to carry it out is still under investigation. Ashiq alias Chikku, the third suspect, has been apprehended, and his connection to the crime is yet to be determined. The murder is believed to have occurred between May 18 and 19, and Siddique's body will undergo a postmortem examination.