Man's Skeletal Remains Recovered From His Home 2 Years After He Was Reported Missing

The skeletal remains of a man were exhumed from his home in India on Wednesday, two years after he was reported missing.

The police said the man, identified as Shaji Peter, was killed by his brother, Sajin Peter, on Aug. 25, 2018. Sajin and Shaji were allegedly having a heated argument during which the latter sustained a blow to the head and fell unconscious. Upon realizing Shaji was dead, Sajin, along with his mother Ponnamma, dug a pit in the premises of the home in the southern state of Kerala, and buried his body, local daily Mathrubhumi reported.

"Shaji was an accused in numerous theft cases in the past. He was known to create problems at home. It is learnt that the incident which led to his death took place during one such fight," a police officer told local news outlet The News Minute.

The incident came to light earlier this week when a relative, who was in an inebriated state, approached the police and disclosed details about the murder. He informed the officers Ponnamma had told him about the murder when he visited their home recently.

Following this, the officers arrived at the residence Wednesday and dug out the skeletal remains from the pit that had a layer of concrete below the soil.

The police said the home was located in an isolated area, and the family had told everyone Shaji was missing, due to which no one suspected any foul play.

Sajin and Ponnamma have been taken into custody and charged under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Earlier this year, a man in the Indian state of Maharashtra strangled his girlfriend to death and hid her body in the walls of his home for three months. He told her family members the two had moved to another state. The incident came to light after the victim’s relative spotted him and informed the police. The officers went to the accused’s apartment and recovered the victim’s remains after breaking a concrete wall.