A 66-year-old man arrested in connection with the recent disappearance of a woman in Kerala’s Alappuzha. The man has now emerged as the key suspect in the disappearance of at least three other women over the past several years.
Sebastian, Chengumthara house, Pallippuram in the Alappuzha district, was taken into custody on July 28 following fresh leads in the case of 60-year-old Jainamma (Jain Mathew) from Ettumanoor, Kottayam, who went missing in December 2024.
Bindhu Padmanabhan, 46, of Kadakarapilly, Cherthala; Jane Mathew (Jainamma), 48, Athirampuzha, Kottayam; Ayisha, 56, Varanad, Cherthala; and Sindhu, 43, Vallakunnathu, Cherthala South Panchayat in Cherthala are missing, and the investigators are on a task to ascertain the role of Sebastian in the disappearance of these women.
When the investigators probed the truth behind the missing, Sebastian is found to be a cool man, accompanying the investigators just misleading and giving false statements.
During a search of his landed property, the police recovered burnt human remains prompting them to reopen three older missing persons investigations in which Sebastian’s name had previously surfaced.
The discovery has led the authorities to suspect a wider pattern of crimes. A detailed forensic examination is under way, and police are preparing for a large-scale search operation across the expansive compound of his residence in Chennampallipuram panchayat.
Husband and brother of Jainamma approached the High Court and got an order passed to investigate the case. When the local police started the missing case and later handed it over to the CB, they connected the link with Sebastian, who had already been under the scanner of the Alappuzha CB over the disappearance of Bindhu.
Suspicion is also mounting on Sebastian’s role in the disappearance of Ayesha, of Varanad in Cherthala. This follows revelations by Rosamma, Ayesha’s neighbour and friend, who claimed that the former had financial dealings with Sebastian. Ayesha had supposedly approached him to purchase land to construct a house.
Ayesha went missing in 2012. Though police officers had earlier confirmed that she was in contact with Sebastian, they were unable to establish his involvement at the time.
Sebastian’s refusal to cooperate with the investigating team has deepened the mystery, frustrating investigators as they piece together a potential pattern of violence spanning over a decade.
The probe team believes Sebastain’s landed property may contain more crucial evidence, possibly even human remains. The site includes over 2.5 acres of land with ponds and dense vegetation, all of which will be subjected to thorough examination, police sources said.
Investigators are also considering digging up the newly laid granite flooring in the house as part of efforts to locate more evidence.