Migrant held for killing businessman and his wife

By Sumesh Rajan | April 25, 2025 |

 

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Kottayam, Kerala, India: Amit Orang, a 23-year-old migrant worker from Assam, has been arrested for the brutal double murder of a prominent Kerala businessman and his wife in an apparent act of revenge, police confirmed on April 23.

The victims, T K Vijayakumar (58), who operated a convention centre in Kottayam, and his wife Meera (55), were found hacked to death in their residence in Kottayam district on the morning of April 22, 2025. Orang was apprehended two days later, on April 24, from a poultry farm in Meladoor near Mala in Thrissur district, where he had been hiding following the crime.  

Amit Orang

According to Kottayam District Police Superintendent Shahul Hameed, Orang had previously worked at the victims’ home as domestic help, along with his live-in partner. In September 2024, Orang was accused of stealing Vijayakumar’s mobile phone and siphoning ₹1.5 lakh from his account. He was arrested in November and released on bail in early April 2025.

Investigators believe that Orang blamed the couple for his arrest and personal downfall — particularly the abandonment by his partner during his time in custody — and decided to take revenge after Vijayakumar refused to withdraw the theft complaint.

On the night of April 21, Orang allegedly scaled the wall of the couple’s secured two-storey home, used a hand drill to break through a window pane, and entered  the residence. He then reportedly used a hatchet to fatally assault the couple in separate rooms. The victims were discovered disrobed and severely mutilated, indicating excessive violence.

“The level of brutality, especially the disfigurement of the victims' faces, strongly suggests a deep personal grudge,” said SP Hameed. Police also reported that the house was not ransacked and no valuables were stolen, but the CCTV digital video recorder was missing — pointing to a deliberate attempt to erase evidence.

The crime scene came to light on the morning of April 22 when the housemaid found the back door open and raised an alarm after receiving no response from the residents. Neighbours then informed police, who discovered the bodies.

Orang’s movements before and after the crime were pieced together through CCTV footage and mobile tracking. He had checked into a lodge in Kottayam on Sunday, April 20, and was seen purchasing a platform ticket at Kottayam railway station the following evening. Forensic evidence, including his fingerprints on the recovered murder weapon — an axe — and other surfaces in the house, confirmed his involvement.

In a tragic turn, the murders occurred exactly one month after the Central Bureau of Investigation reopened the probe into the mysterious 2017 death of the couple’s son, Gautham, a 28-year-old IT entrepreneur whose body was found on railway tracks in Kottayam.

Police say the double homicide was not financially motivated and that Orang acted out of anger and resentment. He remains in custody as further investigation continues.