Father-son duo remanded after peace talks over broken marriage turn bloody

KOCHI: The Pallururthy police have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly stabbing a youth who was part of a group attempting to mediate a domestic dispute between the accused and his estranged wife. The incident, which occurred on the evening of May 8 near St. Joseph’s Church in Kumbalangi, has left one man in critical condition.
The primary accused, identified as Pesi Don Robert, faces charges of attempted murder. His father, Joseph Philip (53), was also taken into custody on the day of the assault for allegedly aiding his son.
According to police reports, Pesi and his wife, a manager at a local resort café, had been living separately for several months due to ongoing marital discord. In an effort to resolve the conflict, the resort’s manager, Sanchit, accompanied by his friends Shawn George (29) and Jitila Johnson, visited Pesi at his rented residence.
The discussion reportedly took a violent turn when an argument broke out. Police allege that Joseph Philip handed a kitchen knife to Pesi, who then lunged at Sanchit. While Sanchit managed to evade the blow, the blade struck Shawn George in the abdomen, causing life-threatening injuries.
Emergency responders rushed Shawn George to a private hospital in Ernakulam South, where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Following an investigation led by Kumbalangi Outpost SI V. Sreejith, Pesi—a painter by profession—was apprehended, produced before the court, and remanded to judicial custody.