KASARGOD: Police have taken into custody a friend of Sudhakaran alias M K Chithananda (37), who was found murdered in Adhoor Ballakkana forest recently.

Adoor CI AM Mathew and team took Chithananda’s close friend Mohanan into custody on Friday. He is being questioned. The friends had celebrated appearance water while digging well. The police presume that Chithanandan might have been killed in the tussle during the celebration.

Chithanda was a daily wage labourer. He left his house Wednesday morning and as he did not return even past night, his family enquired for him at his cousin’s house in Ballakkana. And it was on Thursday at around 1 pm, his body was spotted in Adhoor forest. Adhoor police filed a case and started investigation.

The body was later shifted to Pariyaram Medical College for post-mortem.

Brushing aside the rumours that Sathanandan might have been killed by wild elephant, police said they suspected it to be a case of murder as there was injury on his forehead and there were signs of drunken brawl in the place. His mobile phone and slippers were found 2 km away from the body.

Police also got the information about some boozing session at the landlord’s house after the bore well was dug.

Kasargod ASP in charge M Pradeep Kumar, Adhoor CI AM Mathew and ASI M Rajan reached the spot and conducted the inquiry.