Afan, the main accused in the Venjaramoodu mass murder case, is in critical condition after a suicide attempt at Poojappura Central Jail. The 23-year-old remand prisoner attempted to hang himself using a piece of cloth in the bathroom of the UTB block. He was found in time by a duty officer and was rushed to the Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Afan is facing charges for killing five members of his family: his brother Ahsan, girlfriend Farsana, paternal uncle Latheef, Latheef’s wife Sajida, and his grandmother Salma Beevi. Authorities had been monitoring him closely due to his unstable behavior and prior statements about wanting to end his life during interrogation. He was being kept under special observation and shared a cell with another inmate, who was temporarily absent when the suicide attempt occurred.
The police believe Afan committed the murders due to tensions over mounting debt and alleged harassment by his relatives. The first charge sheet, concerning the murder of his grandmother, was submitted recently and spans 450 pages, with 120 witnesses and 40 pieces of evidence. According to the report, Afan had developed resentment toward Salma Beevi and was frustrated by his parents’ refusal to help financially, which reportedly drove him to commit the killings.