Restaurant owner found dead in Thiruvananthapuram; employees absconding

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A restaurant owner has been found dead in Thiruvananthapuram city. The deceased has been identified as Justin Raj (60), the owner of Kerala Cafe restaurant located in Vazhuthacaud.

The body was discovered concealed in a house in Edapazhanji. Two of his employees, who were staying at the house, have gone missing. One of them hails from Vizhinjam, while the other is a Nepalese national. Police have launched an investigation and are actively searching for the absconding duo in connection with the case.

Justin Raj had a daily routine of opening his restaurant at 5 AM. The restaurant had a total of eight staff members. When two of them failed to show up for work, he took the manager’s two-wheeler and headed to the house in Edapazhanji. As he hadn’t returned by noon, other employees went to the house to check on him. It was then that they found his body covered and concealed. Justin Raj was the son-in-law of former MLA and CPM leader M. Sathyanesan.