'Slapped several times on face, lost cool'; Boyfriend Alan's statement in Chitrapriya murder

KALADY: Alan Benny (21), a native of Kottamam, Kalady, was arrested on murder charges after his friend Chitrapriya’s dead body was found in a rubber plantation. He was produced before the residence of the Perumbavoor Judicial First Class Magistrate last night and remanded.

The initial conclusion is that Alan, suspecting that Chitrapriya was in love with another young man, took her to a rubber plantation on a bike and hit her on the head with a stone during an argument. The police had received information that Chitrapriya and Alan had reached the empty rubber plantation at night to talk and end their five-year romance. During the argument, Chitrapriya slapped Alan repeatedly on the face, citing several of his mistakes. This is said to have led Alan to lose his cool and hit her on the head with a stone.

The police believe the hit was so fatal that it led to Chitrapriya's death. A blood-stained stone was found near the body. It is believed that Chitrapriya died from a fractured skull and bleeding.

The body was cremated at the Nileswaram Shanthinilayam crematorium on Wednesday evening.

Chitrapriya, the daughter of Shyju and Shini from Mundangamattom, went missing on Saturday night. After receiving the complaint, the police recovered CCTV footage of the young woman riding pillion with Alan on a bike. Alan was released on Sunday after recording a statement where he admitted that he brought the girl near the Nakshatra Lake in Malayattoor and dropped her off. However, police were not ready to buy his claims as they continued to monitor Alan. After the body was found, Alan was summoned again. Although he was unwilling to answer the police's questions, Alan later confessed to the crime when presented with evidence. The accused will be produced in court today. The CCTV footage was crucial.

Alan, an electrician by profession, hails from the same village as Chitrapriya. Police said that they fell in love when they were studying in the 9th standard at Nileeshwaram SNDP High School. However, almost a year back, the relationship started seeing cracks, and they had a fallout. After being out of contact for a long time, they both got into the company again only recently.

The suspicions that Chitrapriya, who is studying in Bengaluru, had another love interest caused a rift in the relationship. Arguments became common between them, and it hit a nadir when Chitrapriya failed to answer Alan’s phone call on the day of the murder. Alan took Chitrapriya to the rubber plantation to confront her.

The crucial CCTV footage shows two other people also joining them, but the police say that they are not involved in the incident.

Chitrapriya had arrived from Bengaluru on the 3rd of this month to celebrate a relative’s birthday in Vadakara. She had gone with Alan when her parents went to see the Ayyappa lamp lit by the Ayyappa Seva Sangham on Saturday. The body was found in a plantation near Sebiyur Kuriappilly at 2.30 pm on Tuesday during a search operation conducted by members of Chitrapriya’s mother, Shini's, catering team. The body was found almost one kilometre away from her house.