In a major development from Alappuzha, the Crime Branch (CB) has filed a report with the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-1, Cherthala, revealing that C.M. Sebastian, 68, of Pallippuram, has confessed to the murder of 52-year-old Bindhu Padmanabhan, who disappeared from Kadakarappally.
Sebastian, already in remand for nearly two months in connection with the murder of Jainamma (Jain Mathew) from Ettumanur, was recently booked under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for Bindhu’s death. His confession came during his interrogation regarding the Jainamma case.
Following his court appearance this week in the Bindhu murder case, Sebastian has been remanded in police custody until September 30. Authorities anticipate taking him to various locations as part of their crucial evidence collection process.
Renewed Focus on Bindhu’s Disappearance
The investigation into Bindhu’s mysterious disappearance gained fresh momentum after Sebastian’s arrest two months ago in the Jainamma murder case. Previously, Sebastian had been uncooperative with investigators regarding Bindhu’s whereabouts.
The initial probe into Bindhu’s disappearance began in May 2018, sparked by a complaint from her brother, Praveen Kumar. He alleged that his sister, who owned substantial assets worth crores, had vanished under suspicious circumstances several years prior. He also claimed that certain real estate brokers had illicitly seized her properties through forged documents.
Property Fraud Uncovered
Further investigation unearthed a scheme where Sebastian and an accomplice, T. Mini, also known as Jaya, sold Bindhu’s assets using fraudulent documents. Police reports indicate that in 2013, a power of attorney was registered at the Pattanakkad sub-registrar’s office, with Mini impersonating Bindhu to sign the papers. This led to a property belonging to Bindhu, valued at ₹5 crore, being sold to a resident of Changanassery, who later resold it to another individual.
As the case unfolded, Mini surrendered to a local court, while Sebastian was apprehended by police for his involvement in document forgery and illegal land transactions. Although questioned about Bindhu’s fate at the time, his interrogation yielded no breakthroughs, and he was subsequently released on bail.
Beyond the Bindhu and Jainamma cases, Sebastian is currently under scrutiny for his potential involvement in the disappearance of another woman, Ayesha, from Varanad in Cherthala.