Murder of restaurant owner: Accused attack police, arrested

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of Justin Raj, the owner of Kerala Café restaurant in Edapazhanji, Thiruvananthapuram. The accused are employees of the restaurant—one a native of Vizhinjam and the other a Nepalese national. Both were apprehended from Adimalathura in Thiruvananthapuram. During the arrest, the accused attacked the police, injuring four officers.

Justin Raj was found dead at a house in Edapazhanji, where his employees had been staying. After the incident, two of the restaurant’s staff members went into hiding. They are the ones who have now been arrested.

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.