Sebastian's 'revelation' destroys police credibility: Crime Branch seeks evidence

ALAPPUZHA: Crime Branch to find evidence in Sebastian's statement that he murdered Kadakkarappally native Bindu Padmanabhan. The Crime Branch team has started questioning Sebastian in detail after taking him into custody. It is reported that he has not given any more information beyond the fact that he murdered Bindu. The crime branch needs to know from Sebastian where the murder took place and where the remains are. Sebastian's non-cooperation with the interrogation is a challenge.

The state crime branch is currently continuing the investigation that was started by the Pattanakkad police in 2017. Sebastian's role was pointed out in the complaint filed by Bindu Padmanabhan's brother Praveen Kumar, who reported that his sister was missing. Bindu had received the family pension in the name of her father Padmanabha Pillai from the Cherthala treasury until June 2006. The investigation team has concluded that she was killed after this. Bindu, who was lonely following the death of her father and mother, became acquainted with real estate broker C.M. Sebastian, a native of Pallipuram, in 2002. He was the middleman in the sale of her properties worth crores. Sebastian began trading in properties in Bindu's name after 2006, when Bindu is believed to have been killed, by forging documents. Sebastian confessed to killing Bindu during interrogation in the case of the murder of Ettumanoor native Jainamma.

Sebastian's 'revelation' destroys police credibility

Sebastian's confession that Bindu Padmanabhan was murdered destroyed the credibility of the local police that conducted the initial investigation. There were allegations that the police protected Sebastian, who was under suspicion during the initial investigation into the Bindu Padmanabhan disappearance case. When the investigation started by the Pattanakkad police was on the right track, allegations were raised that the investigation was being deliberately misguided due to the intervention of high-ranking officials. There was severe criticism from within the police force against the two retired officers. Jainamma's life would not have been lost if Sebastian had been caught then.

If an efficient investigation had been conducted in 2017, Sebastian would have been caught in the Bindu Padmanabhan case, but he was protected without conducting any serious checks or investigations. Even at Sebastian's house, checks were conducted only as a formality. The lack of evidence in the initial investigation also posed a challenge for the Crime Branch, which conducted the follow-up investigation. Although months have passed since the Kottayam Crime Branch sent the bone fragments found at Sebastian's house for DNA testing, the lack of results has hampered the follow-up investigation.