“Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I tell you not to do anything to my girl?” Santosh wrote on Facebook, just hours after he shot Radhakrishnan dead. The brutal murder took place on the night of March 20 at an under-construction house in Kerala’s Kannur district, where Radhakrishnan, a goods auto driver, was shot dead by Santosh.
The accused, a native of Perumbadavu village, had posted a series of ominous messages on Facebook before and after the crime, openly hinting at his intentions. He was taken into police custody shortly after Radhakrishnan was shot and killed.
Santosh’s disturbing social media activity hinted at his intentions well in advance. At 4.23 pm on March 20, he posted a picture of himself holding a gun, accompanied by a chilling caption: “The task is to hit the target. I am sure I will.” Shortly after this, he carried out the murder. Hours later, at 7.27 pm, he returned to Facebook to post another message, which read, “Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I tell you not to do anything to my girl? I will bear it if I lose my life, but my girl… I won’t forgive you.”
Radhakrishnan was shot in the chest with a country-made gun. Authorities are yet to confirm whether the weapon was licensed. According to the first information report, Santosh had been friends with Radhakrishnan’s wife, but decided to kill her husband, when he could no longer continue his association with her.
Meanwhile, the police registered a case of murder under Section 103(1) of Bharat Nyay Sanhita.
