On the night of February 24, Kerala was left reeling after the news of a shocking crime — a 23-year-old man walked into a police station and confessed to murdering several members of his own family. Among his victims was his 13-year-old brother, whom neighbours say he loved dearly, making the tragedy even more unfathomable.
In a span of just seven hours, the accused, Afan, brutally attacked and killed his mother Shemi, brother Ahsan, paternal grandmother Salma Beevi, paternal uncle Latheef and his wife Shahida, and his friend Farsana. Only Shemi, who remains under medical care, survived the carnage.
The small town of Venjaramoodu, located about 25 km from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, is struggling to comprehend the horror. The crime unfolded across three homes in two different police jurisdictions, further adding to the shock. Afan’s close friend, who met him in between the killings, recalls that he appeared completely normal, even assuring him that he would return soon after finishing some urgent work.
While Afan reportedly cited financial struggles and debt as his motive, the police continue to explore all possible angles. This incident is the latest in the disturbing trend of familicides in Kerala over the past year. Experts warn that factors like drug influence and exposure to violent media cannot be ruled out.
Dr Mohan Roy G, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Government Medical College, Kollam, warns against a simplistic approach to understanding crime.
“Humans have always been committing crimes for multiple reasons — revenge, impulsivity, premeditation, societal pressures, and mental health issues. No crime has a single cause. However, our usual crime reporting tends to be reductionist, attributing crimes to just one factor. But it is never that straightforward,” he explains, adding that some murders are committed for bizarre reasons.
On January 18, Ashik, a 25-year-old man from Kozhikode’s Thamarassery allegedly murdered his mother, Subaida Kayikkal, as a ‘punishment for birthing him’. Subaida, a single mother divorced for 23 years, was recuperating from brain tumour surgery at her sister’s residence when the attack happened. Police said that Ashik, who reportedly borrowed a billhook knife from a neighbour to hack his mother, frequently demanded money and property from his mother and had previously expressed intentions to harm her. Notably, Ashik has a history of drug addiction and treatment at de-addiction centres.
Dr Mohan points out the dangerous role of substance abuse in impairing judgement and escalating violent tendencies. “Drugs severely impact brain function, reducing one’s ability to assess situations rationally. Many of these recent crimes are more ruthless than those committed by hardened criminals. What is alarming is that the perpetrators are not habitual offenders but ordinary individuals with no criminal history. They exist in society without intervention or help, when ideally they should be identified early — whether in schools or within families — and provided the necessary support,” he adds. He also highlights the fact that violent behaviour is being exhibited even by youngsters and children.
Last December, a 14-year-old boy from Kozhikode’s Thikkodi attacked his mother with a knife after she refused to give him her mobile phone for gaming. The incident occurred at night when his mother declined his request to use her phone after his own had run out of internet data. The boy, who had previously dropped out of school and was reportedly addicted to mobile gaming, attacked her while she was asleep. However, the mother survived the attack.
In another incident of a child killing a parent, 28-year-old Prejin Jose fatally attacked his father with a kitchen machete in Thiruvananthapuram’s Vellarada earlier this month. Prejin, who had discontinued his MBBS studies in China due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reportedly resented his father’s strictness and restriction of personal freedom. Despite previous disputes with his father over his inactivity and his reluctance to resume studies or seek employment, there was no immediate altercation preceding the fatal attack. Investigation is still underway in the case.
Dr Mohan underlines the increasing normalisation of violence due to its frequent portrayal in media. “We are constantly exposed to graphic violence through videos, films, and news. Seeing violence repeatedly desensitises us. In recent times, the level of brutality in crimes has escalated beyond what we have seen before. We regulate alcohol advertisements with warning messages, yet we continue to expose society to limitless violent content without considering its impact,” he says.
In a particularly savage crime, 36-year-old Moses Bipin allegedly tied up his mother, Nalini (62), and set her on fire, leading to her death in Vellarada last month. Moses’ younger brother discovered Nalini’s charred body with her legs bound when he returned home. When confronted, Moses threatened villagers with a knife but was subsequently apprehended by the Vellarada police. According to the police, Moses was under the influence of alcohol during the incident.
In another instance, 63-year-old Benny was arrested in April 2024 for allegedly killing his sister Rosamma (60) by smashing her head with a hammer following an argument and burying her body in the backyard of their ancestral home in Alappuzha. Rosamma had been living with Benny after she separated from her husband more than 30 years ago, and it was her decision to remarry that led to the murder.
In August 2024, in a double murder case in Kollam’s Padappakara, Akhil Kumar allegedly killed his mother, Pushpalatha, and grandfather, Antony, following a dispute over money for drugs. After the incident, Akhil fled, leading to a nationwide manhunt. He was eventually arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, near Srinagar, in December 2024. The arrest was facilitated by tracking his movements through ATM withdrawals and other investigative methods.
The recent trend of family murders in Kerala is no longer just a series of isolated incidents — it reflects deeper societal issues. Experts say that tackling this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach, from early mental health interventions to responsible media consumption.
Dr Mohan says, “What should truly scare us is how these individuals justify murdering their own family members.” He also points out the broader mental health crisis, where conditions such as borderline personality disorder are often overlooked. “When we talk about mental health issues, we only think of severe psychiatric disorders. But there are other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, which can also lead to violent behaviour. Substances further exacerbate these mental disturbances, stripping individuals of their ability to make sound judgements.”
Retired DGP A Hemachandran offers a view from the lens of law and order. “From a purely investigative and legal standpoint, the focus of the police is on the crime itself — who committed it, what evidence exists, and whether it is enough to secure a conviction in court. The broader social concerns are separate matters,” he states.
However, he acknowledges that drug abuse plays a role in many of these cases. “While there is no concrete evidence yet linking drugs to this particular case [Afan], we cannot ignore its potential influence. From what is publicly known, the accused had already developed a violent disposition. His actions were not impulsive; it was a calculated spree of murders over several hours. He even took a break to get mandhi [a traditional Yemeni dish made with rice and meat] for his brother and later spoke to his girlfriend before continuing his killings. This suggests that multiple factors, possibly including financial distress, contributed to his mental state.”
He also draws attention to the fact that the family was already concerned with Afan’s behaviour. “It is possible that he was already in a destructive state of mind due to personal and financial struggles. Being under extreme monetary pressure can push individuals toward drastic actions,” he says.
Beyond personal circumstances, Hemachandran believes that exposure to violent media plays a crucial role in shaping behaviour. “We are constantly bombarded with violence through social media and films. A mentally healthy individual can evaluate and filter such stimuli. But for someone under emotional distress, this exposure can be highly triggering. Everyone faces challenges, but how we react to them is key. And that reaction is shaped by our personal conditioning and external influences.”
(With IANS inputs)