Three Malayalees’ deaths in Germany fire confirmed as murder; Romanian man arrested

BOCHUM: The deaths of three Malayalis in an apartment fire in Bochum, Germany, are now being investigated as a murder case, with police suspecting that the blaze was deliberately set. A 41-year-old Romanian national who lived in the building has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remanded in custody following a court order. The victims were identified as Anjali Sheela Joy, 27, from Chemmakkad in Kollam district; Nova Sabu, 25, from Kattappana in Idukki district; and Sivin Johny, 27, from Kalady in Ernakulam district.

The fire broke out at around 4.15 am on Tuesday, October 13, at a multi-storey residential building on Poststrasse in Bochum's Hofstede district. Firefighters found the three victims dead inside an apartment on the second floor. Five other residents suffered smoke-inhalation injuries and were taken to hospital. German police and prosecutors have ruled out a technical defect as the cause of the fire. Investigators suspect that children's strollers stored in a corridor on the ground floor may have been deliberately set alight, allowing the flames to spread rapidly through the building's wooden staircase.

The 41-year-old Romanian resident was initially arrested after investigators identified grounds for suspicion. As the investigation progressed, the suspicion against him strengthened. On October 14, a judge issued an arrest warrant and ordered him held in pretrial detention. The homicide squad is continuing to investigate the circumstances of the fire and the suspect's possible motive.

Nova Sabu was the daughter of retired Sub-Inspector K.P. Sabu and Jyothi Sabu, who works at a public health centre in Idukki district. Nova Sabu had moved to Germany in July and was reportedly working as a gym trainer while pursuing her plans abroad.

Anjali Sheela Joy, daughter of D. Joy and Sheela Joy of Chemmakkad, Kollam, was a B.Ed. graduate who had moved to Germany in July in search of employment. She was reportedly working in warehouse logistics while exploring opportunities in the teaching field.

Sivin Johny, a native of Kalady in Ernakulam district, had arrived in Germany approximately two weeks before the tragedy. He had travelled abroad in search of employment and was reportedly preparing to begin work.