Kerala mass murderer had debt of Rs 65 lakh, killed girlfriend thinking she would be alone without him: Police

Police said, at first, Afan wanted to commit suicide with his mother and brother, NDTV reported.

He had decided to end his life after carrying out the murders, and he killed his girlfriend, thinking that she would be alone without him, the police added, according to the report.

He killed his paternal uncle, grandmother, 13-year-old brother and his girlfriend in three houses located in and around Venjaramoodu, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday, the report said, quoting the police.

He also tried to kill his mother but she survived the attempt.

After committing the murders, he went to Venjaramoodu police station and surrendered.

Afan’s father lived in Saudi Arabia, and officials stated that creditors were harassing the family over unpaid debts.

Upset that his grandmother, paternal uncle, and aunt were not providing financial assistance, Afan realised that the family could not repay the dues.

He then attempted to persuade his mother and 13-year-old brother to die by suicide with him, according to the NDTV report.

When his mother refused, Afan decided to kill her and his brother before ending his own life.

After assaulting his mother, he left the house believing she was dead and went to his grandmother’s home, where he killed her and stole a gold necklace.

He then proceeded to the residence of his paternal uncle and aunt, killing them as well.

Returning home, he found his younger brother and girlfriend, Farsana.

Superintendent of Police KS Sudarshan stated that Afan killed his brother and then Farsana, believing "she would be alone without him."

SP Sudarshan said authorities would investigate whether factors beyond financial stress led to the murders, as Afan’s behaviour remained unusual even after his surrender.

"Afan will be questioned in the presence of mental health experts, and his mental state will also be examined. It does not seem like he had any animosity towards Farsana. He had also not told her about his mass suicide plan," the officer was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Initially, Afan’s mother, Shemina, denied being attacked, telling police she had fallen from her bed.

"She was not aware of what her son had done after attacking her," an official was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Afan’s father, Rahim, who returned from Saudi Arabia after the murders, told police he was unaware the family’s debt had reached Rs 65 lakh.

He admitted knowing that Afan had a debt of Rs 15 lakh, which included a bank loan and money borrowed from a relative.

Rahim said his son had pawned a gold necklace belonging to the girl to repay the loan, and he had sent Rs 60,000 to recover it.