Sebastian, a property broker, had earlier confessed to murdering Jaynamma and burying her remains in the Pallipuram compound. He is suspected of luring women under the guise of real estate deals, siphoning off their assets, and ultimately killing them.
Published Aug 06, 2025 | 5:42 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 06, 2025 | 5:42 PM
Sebastian, a property broker, had earlier confessed to murdering Jaynamma
Synopsis: A ground penetrating radar search was launched on 6 August at the Pallipuram residence of CM Sebastian (65), the prime accused in the 2024 disappearance of Ettumanoor native Jainamma, following the discovery of charred human remains on the premises earlier this month. The Crime Branch, assisted by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, is examining possible links to two other women: Bindu Padmanabhan and Aisha, who had past dealings with Sebastian and went missing under similar circumstances.
A ground penetrating radar inspection was launched on Wednesday, 6 August, in Kerala’s Alappuzha at the residence of CM Sebastian (65), the prime accused in the 2024 disappearance of Ettumanoor native Jainamma (54, also known as Jain Mathew) under mysterious circumstances.
Officials from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram are leading the radar-assisted search at Sebastian’s house, spread across two and a half acres in Pallipuram, Cherthala in Alappuzha. The property is currently under the custody of the Crime Branch.
The radar search follows the earlier discovery of charred human remains, including bones and a tooth with a steel cap, on the same premises.
These were found on 2 August and again on 4 August, 25 metres apart during Crime Branch inspections. The remains have been sent for DNA testing, with results expected on Thursday.
While Jainamma’s family insists she had no such dental work, investigators are now looking into the cases of two other missing women who reportedly had similar dental implants: Bindu Padmanabhan (52) from Kadakarappally, and Aisha (62), a native of Varanad in Cherthala.
Both women went missing under mysterious circumstances more than a decade ago and had previous interactions with Sebastian.
With Sebastian’s police custody for Jainamma’s case ending on Wednesday, Crime Branch officials are preparing to seek an extension from the court while also initiating steps for scientific interrogation methods.
Sebastian, a property broker, had earlier confessed to murdering Jainamma and burying her remains in the Pallipuram compound. Police believe she was killed on 23 December 2024.
Police search the house compound in Pallippuram, Alappuzha.
However, inconsistencies in his statements and the discovery of multiple skeletal remains have complicated the investigation. Investigators suspect Sebastian is misleading them with rehearsed and contradictory statements. So far, he has not clarified the identity of the remains or the circumstances surrounding the murders.
The Crime Branch has also tracked suspicious financial activity involving Sebastian, including over ₹1.65 crore withdrawn from two cooperative banks over the past two years.
Adding to the case’s complexity, police recovered Jainamma’s gold ornaments, which had been stolen, pawned, and later sold. The latest round of evidence collection included visits to a private bank in Cherthala, where Sebastian had pledged five sovereigns of gold belonging to Jainamma.
Sebastian is suspected of luring women under the guise of real estate deals, siphoning off their assets, and ultimately killing them.
Aisha, a retired panchayat employee had disappeared in 2018. Her friend Rosamma had recently revealed that Aisha had financial dealings with Sebastian. Aisha had reportedly approached him for help in buying land to build a home. She later went missing.
Her relatives have now provided DNA samples to help identify the recovered remains. Police had earlier confirmed that Aisha had been in contact with Sebastian, but no direct link to her disappearance was established at the time.
Bindu Padmanabhan’s case, meanwhile, involves a disturbing land scam. Heir to a vast fortune, she has been missing since 2017.
In 2018, her brother Praveen Kumar filed a complaint alleging that real estate brokers, including Sebastian and a woman named T Mini alias Jaya, had forged documents and sold properties worth over ₹5 crore belonging to Bindu.
A forged power of attorney, signed by Mini posing as Bindu, enabled the illegal sale of property registered at the Pattanakkad sub-registrar office.
Although Sebastian was arrested for document forgery, he was later released on bail. Bindu’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The investigation, spread across Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam districts, is being jointly handled by multiple Crime Branch units as they await DNA confirmation to determine if the buried secrets of Pallipuram will finally be unearthed.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
