Lover, friend arrested for attempted murder after staging road accident to win over woman

Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Jan 7 (PTI) What looked like a road accident on a busy evening in this district has now been exposed as a carefully planned crime, driven by obsession and deceit.

Police said a 24-year-old man and his friend staged a scooter accident, injured a woman on purpose, and then tried to pose as her saviour--all to win her trust and sympathy.

The accused are Ranjith Rajan of Mammoodu, Konni, and his friend Ajas (19) from Payyanamon.

According to the police, Ranjith was in a relationship with the woman earlier and wanted to regain control over her life.

On December 23, around 5.30 pm, the woman was riding her scooter home from Adoor after a coaching class.

As she reached Vazhamuttam East, a car followed her closely. Moments later, the vehicle rammed into the scooter from behind. The woman fell hard on the road. The car did not stop.

People nearby rushed to help, shocked by the sudden crash.

That was when Ranjith arrived in an Innova car.

He introduced himself as the woman’s husband, comforted the crowd, and took her to a private hospital in Konni, presenting himself as a caring rescuer.

But police said the rescue was part of the plan.

The woman suffered serious injuries--her right elbow was dislocated, her little finger fractured, and she had cuts and bruises all over her body, police said.

At first, a normal accident case was registered based on her statement.

As days passed, doubts began to surface. During questioning, details did not add up.

A deeper probe revealed that the accident was not accidental at all, but planned in advance.

Police found that Ajas had deliberately hit the scooter on Ranjith’s instructions, while Ranjith played the role of a concerned partner to win the family’s sympathy.

Once the truth came out, police added attempt to murder charges to the case.

“The accused believed they could manipulate emotions by creating fear and gratitude,” a police officer said. “But their plan caused serious harm and could have ended in tragedy.” The case is being investigated by Sub-Inspector Alexkutty S of Pathanamthitta police.

Both accused were arrested and produced before the court. PTI COR TGB ROH