Sukumara Kurup: The story of India’s most elusive fugitive gets a new lease of life

The most fascinating murder mystery in Kerala is not of recent origin. The story is that of India’s most elusive fugitive, Sukumara Kurup, who vanished from the country after a murder in 1984, never to be found again. The story got a dramatic revival in Kerala recently after a claim that the fugitive, who has eluded the law for 42 years, was in Brunei.On August 27, Ali Akbar, a former police official who was part of the original investigation team, claimed that Kurup was now living in Brunei, disguised as an Indian of Malaysian origin. Ali went one step further and handed over a picture of the person to a news channel, that went to town with it. “Kuruppe kali madhiyakkanam” (Kurup, stop the games), thundered the channel’s popular anchor Hashmi Taj Ibrahim. He wanted Kurup to surrender to the Kerala Police. The channel also revealed his passport details. Ali’s claim was that the man was living in Brunei under the assumed name of John Menon.Ali later said that he had arrived at details of Kurup’s current whereabouts after talking to a person from Thiruvananthapuram. Ali had neither met Kurup nor independently verified the claim made by the person. Strangely enough, Ali did not share these details with the Kerala Police, and a few from the force wondered why.“The rumour that Sukumara Kurup is hiding abroad will be investigated,” Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told mediapersons. He directed the ADGP (Crime Branch) H. Venkitesh to examine the claim.The story collapsed in under a day as an individual in Thrissur in central Kerala identified the person in the picture as his relative, who was based in Malaysia but now in Brunei on work. The Kerala Police verified this claim and found it to be true. The “Kurup picture” that was splashed across the cable news channel was that of Damodara Menon, a Malaysia- based non-resident Indian. He had changed his name later to John Menon.As a result of this recent claim about Kurup, though discredited, there is renewed interest in his story. The ADGP told mediapersons that the police would not close the case file until it received conclusive proof that Kurup was dead. According to an official, the police was in the process of closing old cases when this story sprung up. Now, there was no way to close it.Case detailsThe 1984 murder was a sensational case, one that held the attention of the people of Kerala for long. The police allege that Sukumara Kurup, alias P.K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, murdered a film distribution representative named K.J. Chacko, who resembled him, on January 22, 1984, to obtain insurance money by faking Kurup’s death. Chacko was murdered and seated in Kurup’s car. The car was later set on fire. Kurup’s co-conspirators in the case were Bhaskara Pillai, his brother-in-law, his helper Shahu, and his driver Ponnappan, who were all arrested a few days after the murder. Kurup reportedly escaped to West Asia.

A film poster of the 2021 Dulquer Salmaan starrer, “Kurup”. | Photo Credit: www.facebook.com/DQSalmaan In 1990, after six years of searching, the police declared Kurup an absconder. A year later a sessions court convicted Bhaskara Pillai and Ponnappan and sentenced them to life. In 1994, the Kerala High Court confirmed the sentences. Shahu turned approver and was set free. Kurup’s wife, Sarasamma, and her sister were acquitted for want of evidence. In 2018, both Bhaskara Pillai and Ponnappan were set free after having served their sentences.Police records show that Kurup was born on May 25, 1946, in Chengannur, which makes him just over 80, if he is still alive. He joined the Indian Air Force and left it after a while to move to West Asia during the Kerala “Gulf boom” years. He has since been “spotted” across India and abroad on several occasions, all of which have been found to be untrue.The Interpol Red Corner Notice against Kurup is active to this day. The information in the notice accessed on September 3 notes that his identifying features are: “A black mole on the right side of the cheek about 2 cm below the right ear lobe. 2. A black colouration over the right ear extents to the neck.”The reasons for the notice against Kurup are: “1. Murder 2. Criminal Conspiracy. 3. Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to scree offender. 4.Intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform. 5. Dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by deceased person at the time of his death.”Because of the kind of crime, the fact that he could not be traced, and the fact that he was part of Kerala’s middle class, Kurup is a kind of anti-hero who evokes enormous interest. The media has always played to this sentiment and so has the film world.Three Malayalam movies have been based on what film makers believe was his life: NH 47 (1984), Pinneyum (2016), and Kurup (2021).Few individuals, fugitive or otherwise, has inspired three movies, and that too with top-of-the-line actors and directors. Pinneyum was directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, arguably Malayalam’s best-known director across the world, while Kurup features Dulquer Salmaan, one of the biggest stars in Malayalam today, in the lead role.The change in Kurup’s characterisation from 1984 to 2021 cannot be missed: in NH 47 he is a savage murderer while in 2021, he is a cute and loveable anti-hero. In between, Adoor looks at him through a very sympathetic lens.Kurup remains an unfinished story, one that continues to hold the people of Kerala in thrall.Also Read | Murder mysteryAlso Read | Baba, Bollywood, Bishnoi: A Mumbai murder mystery