In a horrifying crime that shook Thiruvananthapuram, a 23-year-old youth named Afan went on a violent rampage, killing three people, including his own family members and his girlfriend. Spanning over 16 kilometers across multiple locations, the shocking series of murders unfolded before he calmly walked into the Venjaramoodu police station on Monday evening and confessed.
Dressed in a shirt, jeans, and shoes, Afan displayed no signs of panic as he placed a bunch of keys on the reception desk and stated, “I killed three people.” The police officers, taken aback by his calm demeanor, immediately rushed to the addresses he provided. Upon breaking into his home, they discovered the lifeless body of his brother Afsan in the drawing room, while his mother, Shemi, lay critically injured in the bedroom. Upstairs, they found his girlfriend, Farsana, also murdered.
Afan claimed to have ingested poison and was rushed to a hospital before being shifted to the Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram. Investigations revealed that he had used a newly purchased hammer to carry out the gruesome attacks. Meanwhile, his grandmother, Salma Beevi, was also found dead at her residence in Pangode, initially believed to have suffered an accidental fall. However, Afan’s confession confirmed that she was his first victim.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that Afan had been spotted near Salma Beevi’s home in the morning. Police suspect he committed the murders in different locations between morning and evening, using his two-wheeler to navigate through shortcuts and avoid traffic. His bike, a blue-tinted sporty model, was later found parked near his house.
Neighbors recounted eerie details of the hours leading up to the discovery of the crime. Jaleel, a local resident, mentioned that Afsan had come to his wife, Saleela, asking for his mother. When she called, Afan answered and misleadingly claimed they were in Pangode. Shortly after, Afsan was murdered. The neighbors, unaware of any commotion, only learned of the killings when police arrived and broke the locks.
Afan, who had told some neighbors that he worked at Technopark while others believed he was unemployed, had reportedly been struggling with financial difficulties. His family had once traveled to the Middle East, where his father, Rahim, runs a car accessories shop, but Rahim had not returned home in five years. There are also unconfirmed reports suggesting that Afan had sought financial help from relatives, and when they refused, he turned to violence.
Friends and acquaintances expressed disbelief at the crime, describing Afan as soft-spoken and friendly. Meanwhile, his mother, Shemi, remains in critical condition at a private medical college, while police continue to investigate the possible motives behind the shocking killings.
