Fourth Person Taken Into Custody in Abhiram Murder Case

Aishwarya, a friend of accused Umar, was taken into custody on Tuesday, becoming the fourth person held in the murder of 17-year-old Abhiram. Police say she may have known about the crime and are questioning her role as they investigate whether others were involved. The postmortem places Abhiram’s death between 6 pm and 8 pm, and police have formed a special team to investigate. ^1,4

That team is working through a case that began when Abhiram left home on Sunday afternoon, saying he was going to meet a friend. Police say a 17-year-old boy used the phone or Instagram account of 18-year-old Anantha to lure him to Pangappara. The teenager allegedly strangled Abhiram with a belt, then called Umar, a local criminal, to help hide the body in a sack. Police found it among banana plants on Monday. ^1,7

The body in the sack has left two key questions unanswered: why Abhiram was killed, and whether the teenager acted alone. Police say the killing followed a dispute tied to relationships. They say the original target was another boy, whom the accused wanted Abhiram to bring to the spot. Abhiram’s father also says his son was killed after refusing to lure that friend, and has questioned whether the minor is taking the blame for others. Investigators suspect more people may be involved. ^3,5

Those doubts now fall to a special team, which is looking into the accused people’s roles and gathering evidence. Police say the 17-year-old has been sent to an observation home until November 10, while Umar and Anantha have been arrested. Aishwarya’s custody gives investigators another lead as they work to establish who planned the killing and who helped dispose of Abhiram’s body. ^3,4