Abhiram murder case: Umar's girlfriend taken into custody again; arrest likely

SREEKARYAM: In a fresh development in the Abhiram murder case, police have taken the girlfriend of the second accused Umar Muftar into custody again. The 22-year-old woman, a native of Akkulam, was picked up on Tuesday night over suspicions that she had prior knowledge of the murder. Police suspect that she was aware of the crime and had been informed about it by Umar, who is accused of directly participating in the murder. Her arrest is likely after further questioning.

Investigators have reportedly found that Umar, a history-sheeter facing proceedings under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), had shared details of the crime with the woman both before and after the murder. She had been taken into custody earlier during the investigation but was subsequently released. Police are now examining the extent of her involvement and whether she had any role in the conspiracy or in destroying evidence. With her arrest, the number of accused in the murder of 17-year-old Abhiram is expected to rise to four.

Meanwhile, Umar Muftar and Ananda, who were arrested in connection with the murder, have been remanded in judicial custody. The 17-year-old prime accused was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and shifted to an observation home on Tuesday evening. After completing an initial round of evidence collection at the crime scene with the accused, the investigation team is now focusing on gathering further digital and circumstantial evidence. Police also conducted another inspection of the area where Abhiram's body was recovered. CCTV footage showing the teenager leaving his house on the day of the murder has also emerged.

The investigation has now turned towards the digital trail left behind by those involved. Police are examining phone records, Instagram conversations and WhatsApp chats to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the murder. However, the Cyber Cell has found that several conversations from Abhiram's Instagram account have disappeared. Investigators are trying to establish how and when the chats were deleted and whether they were deliberately removed to destroy crucial evidence.