Naushad, a man from Pathanamthitta, had been leading a secluded life in a rubber estate, far from civilization and with limited connectivity. The police recently conducted a search for him after his wife’s statement about his alleged murder.
Around 11 am on Friday, Jaimon K, a senior civil police officer from Thodupuzha, received a call from his relative Rajesh, who runs a grocery shop near Kuzhimattam. Rajesh informed Jaimon that the person mentioned in a lookout notice in a Malayalam newspaper might be Naushad, who used to visit his shop occasionally with the estate owner to buy groceries and ‘beedi’.
Acting on the tip-off, Jaimon headed to the rubber estate on his bike, traveling through a rough 4 km muddy forest road. He confirmed with the estate owner, Santhosh aka Betty Varghese, that the man working at the coconut farm and maintaining the rubber trees was indeed Naushad from Pathanamthitta. Naushad was cooperative and didn’t try to escape when Jaimon approached him.
According to Rajesh, Naushad lived in a farmhouse within the Thodupuzha Forest Range, a secluded area with no proper mobile coverage or facilities. He had chosen to live without using a mobile phone, disconnected from the outside world.
At the DySP’s office, Naushad shared his reasons for living in hiding for almost two years. He stated that his wife and those associated with her had physically abused him multiple times, leading him to fear for his safety. Due to this fear, he decided to live as a recluse, detaching himself from the world and avoiding the use of a mobile phone.
Around 3 pm, Naushad was handed over to the Pathanamthitta Police for further investigation. DySP MR Madhu Babu, who questioned Naushad, believed that fear played a significant role in his decision to live alone in a remote estate. The Koodal Police in Pathanamthitta will continue the investigation.
During his interaction at the DySP office, Naushad was seen carrying a diary belonging to his wife, Afsana, and appeared upset about her friendship with certain individuals.
According to the estate owner, Naushad was a religious person who offered prayers five times a day. He had mentioned having issues with his wife and was earning Rs 10,000 per month for his work in the estate.
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