Cherthala 'Ammavan', a serial killer? Police reopen missing cases of two women

CHERTHALA: Sebastian, arrested in the Jayanamma murder case, is suspected of killing several women. Police will dig into the details of women who went missing in the last 16 years from the area, including Sindhu (Bindu-43), a native of Cherthala South Panchayat 13th ward, Vallakkunnath, who went missing almost five years back.

Sebastian's house in Pallipuram, where the skeleton was found, will be inspected again. Apart from Jayanamma, the disappearance case of Bindu Padmanabhan, a native of Kadakkarappally, and Aisha, a native of Cherthala Shashthangal, will be reopened. The investigation team found that all three missing women had some kind of relationship with Sebastian before.

The case about Sindhu’s disappearance, closed after four years of investigation by the Arthungal police, was re-examined on the instructions of District Police Chief M.P. Mohanachandran. Sindhu went missing from Thiruvizha on October 19, 2020. Sindhu left the phone at home and told her family that she would be back soon after visiting the temple. The case was dropped last year due to the failure to gather sufficient evidence. Sindhu went missing two days before her daughter's engagement.

Sebastian (62), a resident of Pallipuram Chongamthara, booked for murder in the case of the disappearance of Ettumanoor native Jaynamma, was brought to Cherthala city on Saturday for evidence collection. Sebastian, a known face in Cherthala city as a driver and real estate agent, was brought under heavy police guard. A large crowd of people and the media were already stationed at the site. Sebastian, nicknamed "Ammavan" among his friends and in the town, explained all the details to the police in pure insouciance. There are doubts emanating over the possibility of Sebastian being a serial killer, who hitherto shrouded his real identity, to deftly carry out his sinister ideas.