Nidhin, a young man from the neighbourhood, was one of the first to enter the house.
He said the cops smelt LPG and sensed that Afan had deliberately kept the gas stove on in to trigger a blast in case someone tried to enter the house by force.
“The cops somehow opened the door and we found Ahsan’s body in a pool of blood in the hall. The rear side of his head was battered. The room next to the hall was locked from outside. We knew his mom was there. When we went outside and peeped in through the window, we found her lying in blood, but her eyebrows were moving slightly. The door was soon broken open and she was taken away to hospital. We still did not know that there was another body in the house. When we went to the first floor, we found Farzana’s body in a chair with her face mutilated,” Nidhin recollected.
Other bodies are discovered
The police soon set off to SN Puram, some 10 kms away from Perumala, in search of Latheef’s house. A relative of Afan, who had accompanied the cops to Latheef’s place, said the front door of the house was found open when they reached there.
“As we pushed it, we saw Latheef’s body leaning on the sofa with dried blood all around. His wife was found lying in the kitchen. It was as if she had gone to prepare tea for Afan when he went there. It was a blood-curdling scene,” he remembered.
The autopsy of Latheef, a retired CRPF man, was to reveal more than 20 hammer blows.
They would also go on to find Afan’s grandmother Salma Beevi’s body at her house in Pangode, 25 kms away from Perumala.
What experts say
The mass murders have left psychologists and criminology experts wondering about the reasons that led to the brutality.
The murders could be the result of a combination of factors, felt criminologist James Vadakkumcheri.
“There are push and pull factors that can form a criminal background. Push factors are the immediate, individual reactions a person has when placed in certain situations, instant responses that arise from within. Pull factors stem from societal influences- the environment one grows up in, the exposure received from society and the values absorbed over time. When these two factors interact negatively over an extended period, they can cultivate a criminal ego.
“In this case, the excessive consumption of violence through social media may have influenced his choice of method. Also, no one even heard the sound of him striking his victims. It shows that he knew exactly how to wield the weapon. The push and pull factors, without a doubt, contributed to the formation of a strong criminal ego in Afan’s case. And when faced with a distressing situation, he acted on it, that’s my understanding,” said Vadakkumcheri.
Psychologist Arun B Nair too felt that “impulsivity and impatience driven by the digital revolution are major factors” in shaping responses now.
“People today struggle to accept a ‘no’ to their desires, as the gap between wanting something and achieving it has vanished in the digital age, where everything is instant. The excessive use of digital devices and constant exposure to violent content have diminished real-world social connections. This has led to increased social disconnection among the youth,” said Arun Nair.
Meanwhile, ex-top cop A Hemachandran is of the view that Afan’s personality traits and social influences might have had a part to play.
“The fact that he continued for several hours suggests it was not an act of instant provocation. His personality traits and social influences likely played a role. People react violently for various reasons. No one lives in a vacuum. He is, after all, a product of his society. The glorification of violence in the media, frequent exposure to it, combined with the personal pressures of his liabilities, were contributing factors. He is alleged to have previously attempted suicide and it is reported that family even planned mass suicide. So, an active death instinct was there. His violent disposition was formed by these influences, which ultimately led to the act. Reports also suggest that he showed signs of slight deviance too,” said Hemachandran, a retired DGP.
‘The horror of his actions will haunt us forever’
At Afan’s girlfriend Farzana’s house, located some seven kilometres from Perumala, the family is yet to come to terms with her loss.
S Sudheer, a panchayat member from the Valiyakattackal ward and who resides near Farzana’s house, said she wanted to make it big in life.
Belonging to a lower middle-class family, with her father working in an aluminium fabrication shop, she tutored students at their homes to supplement the family’s income.
“She was good at studies. She did not mingle much with people and always kept to herself. She was a quiet girl. Even in our distant dreams, we didn’t think such a calamity would befall her,” Sudheer said.
Her mother and brother had known about her relationship with Afan and had no aversion to him marrying her.
On the fateful day, one of the family members said she had gone out saying she had a home tuition. “What we saw next was news reports that she was no more, “the relative said.
In Perumala, people are still unable to come to grips with the developments.
Many say Afan was never known to have used drugs, though he occasionally enjoyed drinks with friends. Some others say the financial liabilities were not that huge and did not warrant such an act.
Whatever it may be, all of them unanimously agree that such a crime, such a dastardly act, should not have taken place.
“The horror of his actions will haunt him and us forever. Had this Monday been different, we would have been much better off,” said an old woman, who knew Afan and his family well enough.
(With inputs from Varsha Somaraj.)
