71-yr-old's hit-and-run turns out to be case of murder; four arrested

BEEYUMMA was believed to have died in a hit-and-run. Now, residents of Meppadi are in shock from fresh revelations that a road-rage incident over a scooter overtaking a four-wheeler led to the murder of the 71-year-old.

- LESLY JOSEPH @Kalpetta

While relatives, locals, and even police were convinced that the Nellimunda ward resident had died in a road accident, later revelations by Beeyumma's grandson, 19-year-old Aflah, who was severely injured in the incident, on June 8, proved a turning point in the case.

Based on further investigations, which also relied on CCTV footage, and the statements of eyewitnesses, including Aflah, Aramanganam, Kasaragod natives Akhil Kallingal, 26, Prashanth Puthiyavalappu, 21, Nidhi Pachillankara, 20, and Nithin Narayanan, 22, and a 17-year-old minor boy were slapped with murder charges, five days after the incident.