Published Jul 07, 2026 | 1:16 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 07, 2026 | 1:27 PM
Sukumara Kurup
Synopsis: The 42-year-old hunt for Sukumara Kurup is now being supervised by Crime Branch IG Ajitha Begum.
More than four decades after one of Kerala’s most infamous murder cases, the Crime Branch is learnt to have revived efforts to trace fugitive Sukumara Kurup, the prime accused in the sensational insurance fraud and murder case that has remained unresolved since 1984.
As part of a special drive to review long-pending and undetected cases, the Crime Branch has reexamined fresh leads as well as a statement of a retired nurse who claims to have seen Kurup years ago in Kolkata.
The nurse, Ratnamma, who had been working at a hospital in Kolkata, told investigators that a man she identified as Sukumara Kurup had visited the hospital for treatment.
Ratnamma has since retired and is back in Kerala. The Crime Branch sleuths may record her statement again.
Officials said they are revisiting every possible lead in the case.
Kurup, who was 38 then, has been absconding for over 42 years and remains one of Kerala Police’s most wanted fugitives.
Investigators say it is still unclear whether he is alive or dead, but the renewed probe aims to verify all available information as part of the ongoing review of unresolved cases.
The case dates back to 1984, when a charred body was found inside a black Ambassador car near Mavelikkara.
Initially believed to be that of Sukumara Kurup, police later established that the victim was KJ Chacko, a film representative who had allegedly been lured and murdered.
Investigators concluded that Kurup and his associates strangled Chacko, placed his body inside the vehicle and set it ablaze in an attempt to fake Kurup’s death and fraudulently claim an insurance amount of ₹8 lakh.
By the time the deception came to light, Kurup had disappeared.
Despite extensive searches across the country and several reported sightings over the years, he has never been traced.
The fresh look in the case is learnt to be supervised by Crime Branch IG Ajitha Begum, with officers re-examining old evidence and statements in an attempt to determine whether any new lead could finally unravel the mystery surrounding Kerala’s longest-running manhunt.
According to a Crime Branch official, “The agency is neither reopening the case nor reinvestigating it. As a new official—the IG—took charge, undetected cases pending with Crime Branch came for consideration and Sukumara Kurup case also came up. A discussion followed and it was decided whether any fresh approach is needed for revisiting the case and that’s being examined.”
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar. Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
