In a spine-chilling incident at Thampanoor in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, a hotel receptionist was hacked to death with a machete by a 33-year-old man on Friday, February 25. The accused was identified as Ajeesh, a habitual offender, and has been remanded by the Thampanoor police. The murder was caught on a CCTV camera installed in the hotel.
In the visual, Ajeesh can be spotted getting down from his vehicle and entering the hotel with a machete in one hand and a bag in the other. He then attacks Ayyappan, the receptionist, multiple times, especially on his neck. Ajeesh then exits the place after making sure that Ayyappan was dead. Ayyappan, a native of Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, was alone at the reception desk on Friday morning when the murder took place. Another staff member who returned to the hotel saw the body and informed the police.
According to police sources, Ajeesh had gotten into an argument with Ayyappan (34) in October last year. “We have learnt that the murder was committed due to that argument. Further investigation is underway,” they said.
Ajeesh was nabbed on Friday by the Kerala police from his native place at Nedumangad. "However, we are looking into all angles. The investigation is on," police added.
Ajeesh has been remanded and an FIR has been registered under section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to a The New Indian Express report, Ajeesh is involved in seven criminal cases and was arrested in July last year for stabbing a youth.
(With PTI inputs)