Daijiworld Media Network – Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 24: In a shocking act of violence, a 23-year-old man named Afsan brutally murdered five people, including his own family members, in the suburbs of Kerala’s capital on Monday evening. Following the killings, he took an auto-rickshaw to a police station, surrendered, and informed officers that he had consumed poison. He was immediately rushed to the Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The victims included Afsan’s 13-year-old younger brother, his 19-year-old girlfriend—whom he brought home before killing—his grandmother, his father’s sister, and her husband, Lateef. His mother also sustained severe injuries in the attack and is currently in critical condition at the hospital.

According to police reports, Afsan’s father, who runs a spare parts business abroad, had incurred heavy financial losses and was struggling with mounting debts. Those to whom he owed money had reportedly been pressuring the family, which appears to have played a role in triggering the horrifying crime.

Local legislator D.K. Murali of the CPI-M, who represents the area where the tragedy unfolded, expressed deep shock. "This is an unbelievable and horrifying incident. The entire town of Venjaramoodu is in mourning. What is even more unsettling is that these five murders took place across three different houses within two separate police jurisdictions. It is difficult to comprehend," he said.

Although Afsan has admitted to committing the crime, claiming he saw no way out of his situation, police are investigating to determine if there were additional motives behind his actions.

A local resident who was present at the scene recounted the grim discovery. "We saw police breaking the lock on the gate of Afsan’s house. When they entered, they found three dead bodies inside, along with his unconscious mother, who was rushed to the hospital," the resident said.

Authorities continue to probe the case as the community reels from the devastating loss.