Eyeing His Rs 70 Lakh Funds, Bank Manager Kills Retired Engineer in Kerala; 5 Held for Conspiracy

The Kerala police have arrested four individuals in connection with a case involving the planned murder of a retired BSNL officer by a group of conspirators led by a former bank manager. Pappachan, an 82-year-old retired BSNL assistant manager, was murdered with a perfectly hatched plan, initiated by Saritha, the bank employee. The police also arrested the other accomplices -Anup (37), a bank executive from Maruthadi Vasupilla Junction; Animon (44), from Polayathot; Mahin (47), also from Katapakkada; and Hashif Ali (27), a resident of Polayathot.

Saritha, who was initially hired to manage financial transactions for Pappachan, gained his trust after learning he was living alone. Seizing the opportunity, Saritha and her co-conspirators orchestrated a plan to murder Pappachan, motivated by his substantial financial assets.

At the private bank on Anchalumoodu Road where Pappachan had entrusted his funds, only Saritha, Anup, and another employee were present. Pappachan, who had developed a close relationship with them, confided personal details, including that his daughter was living abroad and his wife was not with him.

Exploiting this trust, the defendants pressured Pappachan to move his fixed deposits to their bank. They enticed him with promises of incentives for employees who brought in new investments. Pappachan, a retired BSNL officer from Vellaittampalam in Kollam, had a keen interest in stock investments and daily trading, which significantly increased his wealth. Despite his financial acumen, he was led to believe in the benefits of these investments and was persuaded to relocate his assets.

Pappachan, known for his modest lifestyle, frequently visited the private bank in Ola from his residence in Ashram Kairali Nagar to explore investment opportunities. Saritha exploited his trust by enticing him with promises of higher interest rates and persuading him to deposit additional funds, as well as to hand over checks.

As a result, Pappachan withdrew Rs 6 lakh as a loan from a total investment of Rs 36 lakhs. Subsequently, another Rs 5 lakh was withdrawn from his account. The fraudulent activity extended to other accounts as well, with Rs 14 lakh being withdrawn from his Punjab National Bank account and Rs 26 lakh from his South Indian Bank account. According to police reports, approximately Rs 70 lakhs were misappropriated from Pappachan’s accounts.

Saritha was found to have siphoned money from seven accounts, including Pappachan’s, all of which belonged to elderly individuals. Upon receiving Pappachan’s complaint about the missing funds, bank officials conducted an investigation, reviewed the account discrepancies, and informed Saritha that legal action would be taken if the money was not repaid.

Realising she could not return the funds, including those belonging to Pappachan, Saritha and her accomplices devised a plan to murder Pappachan to prevent him from pursuing the matter further.

The conspirators, aware of Pappachan’s routine bicycle commutes, targeted him while he was in the vicinity of Ashamath. Initial attempts to stage an accident involving his car failed. Subsequently, they arranged for a man to drive a car hired specifically for the murder.

On the day of the incident, Anup signaled the driver, Animon, when Pappachan was approaching on his bicycle. Animon then accelerated and struck Pappachan with high force. Mahin, another conspirator, was present during the attack, and Hashif Ali played a role in delaying the emergency response by stalling the arrival of an ambulance. Pappachan’s condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to his death before reaching the hospital.

CCTV footage played a crucial role in linking the accused to the premeditated murder of Pappachan. The initial attempts involved hitting him with an auto rickshaw. After three failed attempts on May 20, 21, and 22, the conspirators resorted to using a blue Wagon-R which was hired and driven by Animon, a member of the debt recovery team from Saritha’s former financial institution.

The police investigation, which included analysing phone conversations of the accused, uncovered critical evidence leading to their arrest. While the original owner of the Wagon-R was not involved in the crime and therefore will not face charges, the evidence firmly implicated the accused.

Pappachan’s daughter, Rachel Pappachan, played a key role in the investigation by filing a complaint with the Kollam East Police and providing valuable information about her father’s financial transactions. Pappachan’s wife is Matilda Daniel, and his son is Jacob Pappachan.

Authorities are currently continuing their investigation into the case, and further details are expected to be released as the legal proceedings unfold.