Kerala Police have arrested Raveendran Nair, a former non-judicial employee of the state subordinate judiciary and longtime aide of the Koodathil family, for allegedly killing the family’s last surviving member, Jayamadavan Nair, in 2017. Investigators say the alleged murder was linked to an attempt to gain control over family properties estimated to be worth around ₹100 crore.
The Koodathil family, once associated with the erstwhile Travancore royal family, owned substantial land and property in and around Thiruvananthapuram district. Seven members of the family died over a period of 26 years, beginning in 1991. Police have said there is no reason at present to suspect that the deaths recorded between 1991 and 2012 were anything other than natural.
Raveendran, now 60, lived with his wife and two daughters near the Koodathil family home in Karamana, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. Police say he became increasingly involved in the family’s affairs from around 2005 and later became particularly close to Jayamadavan after the death of his last relative in 2012.
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Police Point to Property and Forged Will
Investigators allege that Raveendran used his familiarity with court procedures to gradually position himself to take control of the Koodathil properties.
According to police, the family property had remained unpartitioned. Raveendran allegedly forged a document in Jayamadavan’s name and later moved court claiming that Jayamadavan wanted the assets divided. Another petition was allegedly filed in Jayamadavan’s name stating that the family had reached an agreement over the division of property.
As a result, 33 cents of land containing the traditional Koodathil family home and another 1.5 acres were transferred to Jayamadavan’s name. Police allege that Raveendran subsequently forged Jayamadavan’s will in 2016.
Investigators say the situation changed when Jayamadavan decided to marry. Police allege that Raveendran feared that a marriage could result in an heir and disrupt his plans concerning the property. They also claim he had earlier discouraged marriage proposals for Jayamadavan.
Police say a confrontation took place between the two men on the night of April 1, 2017. During the alleged scuffle, Raveendran is accused of striking Jayamadavan on the head, causing him to lose consciousness. Investigators allege that Jayamadavan was taken to hospital only the following morning, where he was declared dead.
An unnatural death case was initially registered on Raveendran’s complaint. He had claimed that he found Jayamadavan unconscious.
Suspicions Grew After Death and Property Moves
Distant relatives of the Koodathil family began raising suspicions after Jayamadavan’s death. According to police, concerns were first triggered by an alleged attempt to conduct his last rites quickly, before relatives could arrive.
Those suspicions deepened weeks later when Raveendran approached a court seeking probate of Jayamadavan’s will.
Prasanna Kumari Amma, who had once been married into the Koodathil family and whose son is an heir to the property, was among the first to approach the police.
R Anil Kumar, a Karamana resident who said he had known the family since childhood, also raised concerns. He said there had been an attempt to cremate Jayamadavan before relatives arrived and that he later noticed construction activity and trees being cut on the family land.
In 2018, Kumar wrote to then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the state police chief seeking an investigation into the series of deaths and alleging an attempt by vested interests to take control of the property.
The Crime Branch began investigating the matter in October 2019 and registered a murder case against Raveendran in early 2021.
Forensic Findings Strengthened the Case
Police say a major breakthrough came after Jayamadavan’s will was subjected to forensic examination and was found to have been forged. Raveendran had sought to prevent the examination, but his plea was rejected by the High Court.
Investigators also questioned Raveendran’s claim that he had used an autorickshaw to take Jayamadavan to hospital. Police suspected that a car had actually been used and traced the vehicle through Raveendran’s associate Anil Kumar.
By the time investigators identified the vehicle, it had been sold. Police eventually traced it in 2024 to Kasaragod, around 580 km away. Forensic experts later found blood stains inside the car, according to investigators.
Police named Kumar and his brother-in-law Saju as accused in connection with transporting Jayamadavan to hospital. Kumar had died by then, while Saju was reported to have gone abroad.
Investigators also examined Raveendran’s claim that Jayamadavan may have fallen from his cot and sustained the fatal injury. An examination concluded that the head wound had been caused by a blunt object.
Police have also said that Raveendran underwent a brain electrical oscillation signature profiling test and that the result indicated what investigators described as significant experiential knowledge relating to Jayamadavan’s killing.
Raveendran has been charged with forgery in connection with the alleged attempt to take control of the Koodathil family property. Police had also frozen bank accounts belonging to him and his family.
With Raveendran now in jail, questions over the ownership and inheritance of the Koodathil properties remain unresolved. Prasanna Kumari has said that her son Prakasan may now be the sole inheritor, although the full extent of the family’s property is still unclear.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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