Answer to decades-long question; Crucial information about Sukumara Kurup, say investigation team 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Decades have passed, but the whereabouts of notorious fugitive Sukumara Kurup remained a complete mystery. The Kerala Police have been searching for him for years, both within and outside Kerala. He managed to evade the investigating agencies with remarkable skill and never once came before them. Now, the question of his whereabouts may finally have an answer.

The new investigation team has concluded that he may have died. The team is considering closing the investigation after verifying a few more details and submitting a final report. According to information received by the police, Kurup died years ago due to heart disease. The investigation team is expected to submit a report on the matter to the crime branch chief soon.

The crime branch resumed the investigation three months ago as part of an effort to resolve long-pending cases. The team reached the conclusion that Kurup had died based on the statement of Ratnamma of Alappuzha who was working as a nurse in Jharkhand and was reportedly the only Malayali to have seen Kurup after he went into hiding following the murder.

Kurup had been admitted to the ICU of the hospital where Ratnamma worked, reportedly suffering from heart disease. Kurup was around 40 at that time. Nearly 40 years have passed since the incident. Investigators believe that, given his heart condition, it is unlikely that he could have survived for so many years. The investigation also found that even his wife and other relatives had no contact with Sukumara Kurup.

On the morning of January 22, 1984, Sukumara Kurup allegedly strangled an innocent man named Chacko to death and set his body on fire inside a car, in an attempt to fake his own death and fraudulently claim an insurance policy taken in his name.