Ask anyone who knew 82-year-old Pappachan what he was like, and you will hear, "He was a man who loved his money more than anything else." Living a quiet, frugal life all by himself, his money nonetheless became a catalyst for a carefully executed fraud that resulted in his murder.
On the afternoon of May 23, C Pappachan – who had retired more than twenty years ago as the Assistant General Manager of BSNL in Kollam – was cycling along a quiet road near the Sri Narayana Guru Culture Centre campus in Kollam. The road, flanked by trees and rarely frequented, was typically peaceful. Suddenly, a blue Wagon R struck him from behind and sped away. Though the area was deserted, Pappachan's cries drew the attention of passersby, who rushed to his aid. They managed to hail a passing autorickshaw and quickly transported him to a nearby hospital. But Pappachan succumbed to his injuries the following day. His funeral was held in his hometown of Pandalam, located in the Pathanamthitta district.
As far as the police were concerned, it was another hit-and-run case. They promptly registered it under section 304(a) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, which pertains to causing death by negligence, along with certain sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. Kollam East police arrested Animon, a 44-year-old who ran a chicken stall in Polayathodu, a few kilometres from Kollam town. Animon was a known offender, and he had several cases against him, including criminal offences. He was released on bail after the police treated it as a case of drunk driving.
A few days later, Pappachan’s children noticed a few odd transactions in his bank account. Concerned about this, they immediately filed a complaint and expressed suspicions about their father's death. His daughter hinted at possible financial irregularities involving Pappachan’s bank accounts.
This prompted the police to immediately review all CCTV footage from the area where the accident occurred. Footage from a house about 100 meters away, just outside the compound wall across the road, provided a crucial lead. The blue Wagon R involved in the accident was spotted in the footage, and the police traced it to Hashif Ali, 27, from whom Animon had rented the vehicle. Further investigation into Animon's phone records, bank details, and other evidence began to reveal a different picture altogether.
Within two months of Pappachan's "accident," a well-planned murder plot was uncovered. The case involved a criminal conspiracy, six months of planning, and financial fraud, transforming Pappachan’s death into a crime thriller.
TNM visited Kollam, where the crime occurred, and spoke with investigating officers, Pappachan’s acquaintances, a few close relatives, and his neighbours. Many relatives were terrified and repeatedly asked not to reveal their identities, as they themselves could hardly believe that this was a murder.
When relatives enquired at South Indian Bank and Punjab National Bank, where Pappachan had accounts, they discovered that he had been withdrawing large sums of money, taking loans and repaying them the next day, and engaging in other suspicious transactions. “A day before his death, he withdrew Rs 14 lakh from Punjab National Bank. I find this really suspicious. I doubt whether someone else took the money. How could the bank release such a large amount in cash?” a relative asked.
One of Pappachan’s close relatives told TNM, “We received a tip-off that Pappachan had taken some loans from Muthoot Mini Nidhi Limited, Olayil branch in Kollam. This was surprising because everyone knew he received a monthly pension of over Rs 80,000 and had a fixed deposit of about Rs one crore. That’s why we filed the complaint.”
However, according to the police, the money was actually withdrawn a few days before his death, and it was Pappachan himself who withdrew it, intending to deposit it at Muthoot Mini. But the deposit was never made. This happened to be the latest in a series of financial frauds Pappachan had fallen victim to over the past six months.
In the first week of August, more than two months after Pappachan’s death, police uncovered that it was a meticulously planned murder. The arrests included the manager of Muthoot Mini Nidhi Limited, Saritha (45), her colleague, 35-year-old Anoop, Animon, Hashif Ali, and Mahin, the auto driver who took Pappachan to the hospital after the "accident."
At the Olayil branch of Muthoot Nidhi, there were only three staff members: Saritha, Anoop, and a field executive.
According to the police, the plot to steal Pappachan’s money began six months prior, and investigators identified Saritha as the mastermind.
"Pappachan was an unexpected ‘treasure’ that Saritha stumbled upon," explained an officer. "Muthoot has field executives who approach people and convince them to make deposits in the bank, often offering slightly higher interest rates. That's how they found Pappachan."
Until six months ago, Pappachan had only kept deposits in South Indian Bank and Punjab National Bank branches in Kollam. Saritha and Anoop managed to persuade him to withdraw money from these banks and deposit it at Muthoot Mini. "Over time, they built a friendship and gained his trust. It wasn’t long before Pappachan noticed that he wasn’t receiving the promised interest rates. He kept a meticulous account of his money," said Kollam East Circle Inspector Anil Kumar L.
Saritha was well aware that Pappachan was estranged from his family, including his two children. He also experienced minor lapses in memory.
One of his close relatives told TNM, “We had not maintained contact with him. After his death, we were tipped off about loans being taken from his account. At that point, we became curious, because we saw no reason why he should have taken out loans. That is when we reported it to the police.”
Due to his family estrangement, Saritha assumed that no one would investigate Pappachan’s death or pursue the case. "She knew that even his closest relatives were unaware of the full extent of his savings and pension. This is how they plotted to kill him," said a police officer. Once most of Pappachan’s money had been transferred to Muthoot’s Olayil branch, they withdrew Rs 14 lakh from Punjab National Bank a few days before his death. Though Pappachan believed the money had been deposited into his Muthoot account, it never was.
One of Pappachan’s relatives questioned, "How could someone withdraw such a huge amount of cash? I suspect that someone else might have withdrawn it on his behalf." However, the police denied this allegation, stating that Pappachan was present during the time the amount was withdrawn. When TNM enquired at the bank, an official explained, "If you have deposits in the bank and a personal relationship with the staff, withdrawing that amount of money is not uncommon. There was no reason for the bank to be suspicious."
A senior journalist who followed the Pappachan case from the beginning told TNM that those who knew him fondly called him "Cycle Pappachan." On that fateful afternoon of May 23, Anoop invited Pappachan for tea. Pappachan followed Anoop, who was on a bike, while he rode his bicycle. According to the police, Anoop led Pappachan down a deserted road where there would be no witnesses. The police also revealed that the auto driver, Mahin, did not happen to be there by chance and was involved in the conspiracy.
"Anoop gave the signal, and Animon drove up and hit Pappachan, who was cycling behind Anoop. Mahin arrived at the scene, pretending to be a saviour, and took him to the hospital," said an officer.
On the afternoon of August 14, the police brought Mahin, Animon, and Anoop to the road near Ashram Maidan, where the incident occurred, for evidence collection. Mahin was heard saying, "They both trapped me, sir. I didn’t know anything. When I arrived, he (Pappachan) was already on the road, lying here," Mahin continued to explain. He repeatedly pointed at Animon and Anoop, claiming it was a setup, insisting on his innocence, and eventually breaking into tears.
However, the police asserted that Mahin was lying and was indeed involved in the crime. "Mahin knew Pappachan; he lived close to Pappachan’s house. He has a role in this case," said Anil Kumar. Some of those close to Pappachan mentioned that Mahin even attended Pappachan's funeral and assisted the family, though the police have yet to confirm this. "We need to verify that information by reviewing the video footage from the funeral, which we will do soon," Anil added.
Initial reports suggested that Saritha sought Anoop's help and that the crime was orchestrated by Anoop. However, the police now believe that Saritha was the mastermind. A lawyer for over a decade in Kollam before taking the job at the private bank, Saritha planned the murder meticulously. The police also revealed that Saritha had known Animon for some time and had tasked him with killing Pappachan. Originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Saritha has been living in Kollam for many years and has a son.
“We had no doubts at all about his death. After we got the tip-off, we went to one of the banks and learnt that he had taken a loan of around Rs 29 lakh, in addition to withdrawing Rs 14 lakh from Punjab National Bank,” a close relative said.
Pappachan had a fixed deposit of around Rs 90 lakh in Muthoot Nidhi, which Saritha and Anoop were eyeing, according to investigators. Relatives mentioned loans were taken in Pappachan's name a few times and were closed the next day. “The Rs 29 lakh loan was still there when I enquired,” a relative said.
A police officer stated that Saritha hired the hitmen for Rs 2.5 lakh, but they later threatened her, forcing her to pay Rs 19 lakh. It was also learnt that Animon and Hashif went to Kochi after the murder, stayed there for two days, and partied.
Behind Sankar Hospital in Kollam city, down a lane in Kairali Nagar, stands a one-story, poorly maintained house named Kulirma. This is where Pappachan lived. Though everyone in the area knew him, few were close to him. “He was very fond of dogs. All the street dogs would come there for food. He had special plates just for them. He always encouraged dogs to approach him,” said Seethalakshmi, who runs a nearby shop.
Pappachan was a quiet old man who kept to himself. “He was quite wealthy but lived a simple life. He used only his bicycle and avoided any form of extravagance. He had very few visitors and was not on good terms with his family,” another neighbour remarked.
Those who knew him described Pappachan as someone who loved money and was extremely frugal. “He was obsessed with accumulating money and never spent anything beyond the essentials. No one knew the full extent of his savings,” said a police officer.