Advocate, kin forged doctors after man’s death

KANNUR

: The probe into the reported mysterious death of a retired government employee and the alleged usurping of his property using forged documents took a curious turn on Monday.

It is now suspected that the accused person’s forged the marriage certificate of Thaliparamba resident P Balakrishnan, a former deputy registrar in the cooperation department, after his death on September 12, 2011.

Three persons, K V Janaki, her sister K V Shylaja and the latter’s husband P Krishna Kumar, were arrested in connection with the case. It has been alleged that the accused forged documents to show that Balakrishnan had married Janaki in 1980 to grab his properties.

Police had taken the prime accused, Payyannur-based lawyer Shylaja and Krishna Kumar, to various places in connection with the case and interrogated them, inspector M P Azad said.

The interrogation has reportedly revealed that the marriage certificate was forged after Balakrishnan’s death, to “prove” that he had married Janaki in 1980. Janaki, who was arrested first, told the police that she had not married Balakrishnan, and that her sister had masterminded the entire plot.

“It has been scientifically proved that the duo had forged the wedding photo and the marriage certificate of Balakrishnan and Janaki after his death,” the inspector said.

Later, the accused used these documents to present Janaki as wife and legal heir of Balakrishnan, a bachelor. They got all his properties transferred in her name, which in turn went to Shylaja.

It was revealed during the investigation that the said wedding photograph was created after 2011. The photo was a digital print, which was unknown in the 1980s.

Similarly, they had forged the marriage certificate saying the marriage was solemnized at a

Payyannur

temple in 1980.

Though Balakrishnan died while being shifted from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode in an ambulance, police were yet to find any evidence to prove that he was murdered.

It was, however, possible that he died because an ailing Balakrishnan was forcibly discharged from the

General Hospital

in Thiruvananthapuram, where he had been admitted, and taken to Kozhikode. Investigators said they might slap IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) on the husband-wife duo.

The accused were planning to present Balakrishnan as a relative, but after his death, altered the script. Earlier they had presented him as Krishna Kumar’s relative, police said.

The accused would be produced in a court on Tuesday.