Police on Tuesday said the mass murder carried out by a 23-year-old youth at Venjaramooodu in Thiruvananthapuram was brutal, and preliminary investigation indicates that the accused, Afan, was under the influence of drugs. However, they added further tests are needed to determine the specific substance consumed. A senior police officer said the victims, including the accused’s 13-year-old brother, suffered grievous head injuries.

Preliminary findings suggest that all five victims were killed using a hammer, each sustaining severe head injuries. Police believe Afan purchased the hammer himself and carried out the murders with careful planning. The brutal killings were executed within a span of six hours.

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The accused is also reported to exhibit occasional signs of mental instability, prompting authorities to conduct a psychological evaluation. The accused, Afan, told doctors that he had been consuming alcohol for the past month but denied using any other substances. However, the initial medical examination confirmed that he was under the influence of drugs. Additionally, Afan’s mental health will also be assessed as part of the investigation.

In a shocking incident, a 23-year-old youth on Monday killed his brother, grandmother, girlfriend, uncle, and aunt, and also attempted to hack his mother to death with a machete and a hammer at three different places at Venjaramoodu in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram. Following the killings, the accused surrendered before the police and informed them that he had killed six family members as they were reluctant to clear off the huge debts he had incurred after suffering losses in his business. He also informed that he had consumed poison. The police immediately rushed him to the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, for treatment.

The accused, Afan (23), is a native of Perumala near Venjarammoodu in Thiruvananthapuram. The victims included his 13-year-old younger brother, his 19-year-old girlfriend—whom he had brought home before killing his grandmother—his father’s sister, and her husband, Abdul Latheef. His mother, Shemy (47), also sustained severe injuries in the attack and is currently in critical condition at the hospital.

Police said the accused first murdered his grandmother Salma Beevi (88) at her Pangode home around 3 pm on Monday. He then reached the house of his paternal uncle Abdul Latheef (58) at SN Puram near Koonanvenga, some 16 km from Pangode, and murdered him and his wife Shahida Beevi (54).

Afan then returned home at Perumala near Pullampara and attacked his mother, brother Afzan (13), and girlfriend Farshana (19). After committing the murders, he left the hammer at the house, took a bath, changed his clothes, and then went to the police station to surrender, according to the authorities.