Serial killer remanded in police custody

Kochi: The chief judicial magistrate remanded serial killer Panickar Kunjumon alias Xavier (42) in police custody for a week on Monday.

The accused, a resident of Mamanjimukku in Thevara, was arrested on charges of killing nine people in and around the city over the past eight years. "We seek his custody so as to facilitate a detailed interrogation to shed light on cases before 2007 in which we suspect his involvement. The interrogation has begun," said a senior police officer of Ernakulam central police station. He said a police team from Kannur would interrogate the accused later this week.

Lookout notice for biz man: The Infopark police have issued a lookout circular against K T Mohammed Rabeeulla, a Gulf-based businessman from Malappuram and the main accused in the abduction of an MBA student. The notice was issued following the arrest of a five-member 'quotation' gang hired by Rabeeulla to kidnap the youth from his college hostel. Police are monitoring phone calls of the close aids of the businessman, who is believed to be in Muscat. Meanwhile, officials are also on the lookout for three more people in connection with the incident.

He targeted low-profile victims who slept on the roadsides and murdered them by bludgeoning them with rocks.

He was arrested after he attacked and murdered Unnikrishnan (58) near North station on March 9.