Multiple disappearances: police intensify probe

The police investigating the disappearances of three women have recovered more body parts from the house of C.M. Sebastian at Pallipuram in Alappuzha on Monday (August 4, 2025).

On the day, the Crime Branch (CB) which arrested Sebastian, a real estate broker, last week on the charge of murdering Jainamma (Jain Mathew) from Ettumanur in Kottayam brought him to Pallippuram for evidence collection. Investigators found bloodstains inside the house. The probe team also excavated a few spots on the over two-acre plot and recovered charred bones. Two ponds on the property were also dewatered. Recovered remains will be sent for forensic examination.

Prior to his arrest, the investigators recovered skeletal remains from the compound. The remains have been sent for DNA testing and results are awaited. Besides Jainamma, Sebastian is also under investigation in connection with the disappearance of two other women – Bindhu Padmanabhan and Ayesha, both from Cherthala, whom he reportedly knew. Though he is also suspected in the disappearance of a fourth woman, Sindhu from Cherthala, the police have not yet established any link between the two.

Jainamma went missing from Ettumanur on December 23, 2024. Gold ornaments belonging to her, sold by Sebastian, were recovered by the CB. Apart from the samples collected from Jainamma’s relatives, the investigators have also collected samples from Ayesha’s relatives for conducting DNA tests.

Suspicions about Sebastian’s role in Ayesha’s disappearance deepened following statements by one of her friends, who revealed that Ayesha had financial dealings with him. She had reportedly approached Sebastian for help in purchasing land to build a house. Ayesha went missing about a decade ago.

Though the police had earlier confirmed that Ayesha had been in contact with Sebastian, they were unable to establish any link between him and her disappearance at the time. During the examination of skeletal remains recovered from Sebastian’s property on July 28, the investigators found a tooth with a steel cap. While Jainamma’s relatives stated she had no such dental work, Ayesha’s family confirmed that she did.

Sebastian had earlier failed to cooperate with the investigation into Bindhu’s disappearance.

In May 2018, the police launched an investigation based on a complaint by Bindhu’s brother Praveen Kumar, stating that his sister, who owned assets worth crores of rupees, had gone missing under mysterious circumstances a few years ago. The complainant alleged that some real estate brokers had taken possession of her assets by forging documents.

The probe revealed that Sebastian and another person- T. Mini, alias Jaya, had sold assets owned by Bindhu after forging documents. According to the police, a power of attorney was registered at the sub-registrar office, Pattanakkad, in 2013. Mini had signed the papers posing as Bindhu. Following this, a property owned by Bindhu worth ₹5 crore was sold to a Changanassery native, who later resold it to another person.

As the investigation progressed, Mini surrendered before a local court, while police arrested Sebastian in connection with document forgery and illegal land deals. Though Sebastian was questioned about Bindhu’s whereabouts, it yielded no results. He was later released on bail.

Different CB teams are conducting separate investigations into the disappearances. The CB is expected to conduct more searches in the house compound in the coming days.