Lawyer hacks father to death, critically injures mother

By Sumesh Rajan | December 3, 2025

Alappuzha, Kerala, INDIA: A 29-year-old lawyer allegedly hacked his father to death and critically injured his mother on Sunday night following a violent family dispute at their home in Kandalloor, Alappuzha. The accused, Navjeet (Navjith) Natarajan, a practising advocate at the Mavelikkara Bar Association, was arrested after police carried out a risky intervention to subdue him.

According to police, the incident occurred around 9–9:30 pm on Sunday November 30 when Navjeet, who lived with his parents, allegedly returned home under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He reportedly got into a heated argument with his father Natarajan (62/63) and attacked him with a knife. When his mother Sindhu (49) tried to intervene, she too was brutally assaulted.

Neighbours, alarmed by the commotion and screams, rushed to the house and saw the parents lying in a pool of blood while the accused sat nearby wielding a knife. They immediately alerted the Kanakakunnu Police, who arrived promptly and broke open the locked kitchen door to enter the house.

Police officers managed to overpower Navjeet despite his attempts to charge at them with the weapon. Their swift action is believed to have saved Sindhu’s life.

Both victims were rushed to hospitals with the help of locals. Natarajan succumbed to multiple deep injuries, including severe cuts across his body and face, and several severed fingers. Sindhu remains in critical condition at a private hospital in Mavelikkara/Thiruvalla, with serious injuries to her hands.

Initial enquiries suggest that long-standing family disputes, including disagreements over financial control and resentment over being sent to Coimbatore for his bar exam, may have contributed to the attack. Police also suspect the influence of alcohol and narcotic substances.

The family is financially stable, according to neighbours, who described the incident as one of the most horrifying domestic tragedies the locality has witnessed in recent times. Navjeet’s wife, Navya, was at her family home preparing for childbirth at the time of the incident. The accused also has two siblings, both practising Ayurveda doctors, who were not present during the attack.

Navjeet was produced before the Mavelikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I on Monday December 1. Police have intensified the investigation and are collecting scientific evidence to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive behind the brutal attack.