The Axe Slayer

V. K. Telkepalli
Feb 17, 2024
8 min read

Updated: Apr 18

24th April 2006

“Mr Maniratnam, a renowned businessman, was brutally murdered yesterday. His head was clipped off with an axe. Local police and the forensic team were already at the crime scene,” briefed DCP Sharma as Govind and Ankitha followed him. Standing at a distance, they saw the forensic team scattered all over the place, with Mr Subhash giving a broad smile noticing Govind.

Amongst the chatter, Govind could hear Mrs Maniratnam’s cry while noticing the stunned silence of the servants who stood at the entrance along with them. Stepping inside, Govind saw blood spread over the white sheets and Mr Maniratnam’s body lying on his bed. Approaching it, he noticed a clean cut. As he stared, Subhash whispered, “Our money is on an axe…”

With a smirk on his face, Govind nodded while noticing Ankitha talking to the family members. Subhash continued, “The clean cut seems professional. Mr. Maniratnam might not even know what hit him.”

Glancing at the ripped, bloodstained pillow, Govind gazed around the room before asking, “Any signs of forced entry?”

With Subhash shaking his head, indicating no, Govind stared at everyone in the room. Meanwhile, Ankita approached to inform, “Nothing productive. Just praises to the dead soul.”

Noticing Subash completing his paperwork, Ankita queried, “Why kill a reputed businessman?”

While Govind pondered, Subash asked, “Even if someone did. Why the head?”

Govind’s mind was racing with questions. He noticed no bloodstains in any other part of the room, and the bedroom was unusually closed from all sides. Presuming that the murderer had entered through the main entrance, Govind still wondered how the murderer carried the head? At a distance, Mrs. Maniratnam, still weeping, tried to speak to DGP Sharma but found it challenging to say, “I... I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt him. He was well-respected and is certainly a good man.”

Later that day, in the office, Govind sat in his chair trying to solve the Rubik’s cube while Ankitha read the intel they had gathered about Mr. Maniratnam’s life. Facing him while skimming through the information, she informed, “This might be interesting. A servant at their place called Krishnakanth apparently is from the same village as Mr Maniratnam and had been working for him for a year.”

Holding his play, Govind agreed. Thinking about it for a minute, Govind instructed, “Ankita, why don’t you dig into this more? I think there is more to this than what meets the eye.”

The next day, they attended Mr. Maniratnam’s funeral. While Govind observed everyone closely, trying to find any clue to help him solve the case, Krishnakanth stood beside him and asked, “Are you an atheist, sir?”

Govind nodded, and Krishnakanth leaned towards him to confess, “I am a God-fearing man, but I cannot stand funerals. I’m about to leave; you could join me to escape this annoyance.”

With a smile, Govind declined the offer. Returning a smile, Krishnakanth left, and Govind continued noticing the widow and her only daughter weeping at a distance. He thought they genuinely seemed to be lost in sorrow, to which Govind couldn’t help but wonder if there was a dark underbelly to Mr Maniratnam’s life that even his family was unaware of. His thoughts went back to the missing head, a gruesome puzzle piece that eluded them. He again thought, “What could be the significance of taking the head? Was it a message?”

After the funeral, Govind requested a search team to scour the whole mansion. Their inquiries led them to the mansion’s study, a place where Mr Maniratnam spent most of the day. Inside, they found a lot of journals, pages filled with cryptic entries, which suggested secret liaisons and undisclosed financial transactions. The businessman had indeed led a double life, concealing his failures from the public eye. Those journals also revealed that Maniratnam’s brother was involved in these shady dealings & Govind could not help but bring him to questioning.

As Govind delved deeper into the investigation, he began to suspect that the murder might be linked to the clandestine activities documented in the journals. His intuition told him the missing head might hold the key to unravelling Mr. Maniratnam’s mysterious double life. With his brother’s involvement, Govind and Ankitha intensified their scrutiny of the family dynamics, looking for any signs of animosity or conflict. They decided to interrogate every family member. They set up their interrogation in the same study room, starting with the brother.

Govind started calmly by asking, “So, Mr Sandeep Manirathnam…it isn’t uncommon for families to have disagreements and secrets. Can you tell me about your relationship with your brother? Were there any unresolved issues between you two?”

Sandeep replied, taking a deep breath. “Well Mr Govindam, like any other siblings, we had our differences and we had our agreements. We were close to each other. I don't think we had any unresolved issues.“

Leaning back in his chair, Govind studied Mr Maniratnam’s brother closely. The man’s perspiring forehead and the tremor in his voice hinted at a deeper layer of apprehension beneath his words. So, Govind altered his approach to evoke a sense of empathy; he said, “I understand that this is an incredibly challenging situation for you. It’s never easy to be under suspicion, especially when it involves your own family. But we need your cooperation to uncover the truth.”

Noticing the middle-aged man nod in agreement, Govind continued, “What can you tell us about your whereabouts on the night of the murder? Any alibi that can support your statement?”

Govind hoped to elicit a response that could provide a vital clue in the investigation. Sandeep shifted in his seat, his gaze flickering toward the floor. “I was at home that night, working on some personal documents. No one was with me; I prefer solitude when dealing with important matters,” he explained, his voice strained with a tinge of agitation.

“Understandable,” Govind acknowledged. “Can you suspect anyone who would keep an eye on you without your notice?”

The brother’s hesitation was palpable as he stammered, “I... I don’t think so...in the past too there were attempts…Guess my brother inherited my father’s enemies along with his questionable dealings.”

Govind nodded, noting the evasiveness in the brother’s responses. “I see... My apologies for the inconvenience, but as you might agree, we must establish a clear timeline of events. Could you please share these details of these dealings with my colleagues here? We’ll need to verify your statement too. You understand the gravity of the situation, don’t you?”

The brother’s eyes darted around the room, his discomfort becoming increasingly apparent. “Of course... of course. I want to help in any way I can. But I don’t know how I can prove my innocence. I had no motive to harm my brother. He was family, despite our differences.”

“Indeed, Mr. Sandeep, we appreciate your cooperation. Please don’t hesitate to share anything from your end,” Govind urged, aiming to maintain a sense of open dialogue with the suspect.

The brother nodded, visibly relieved to have the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing investigation. “I will do my best to recall any details that might be helpful. It’s just so shocking to think that someone could commit such a heinous act, especially to a member of their own family.”

“I understand your sentiment, Mr Sandeep. Sometimes, the truth can be difficult to fathom, especially when it hits so close to home,” Govind acknowledged, keeping his tone empathetic yet probing. As Mr. Maniratnam’s Brother’s left, Govind intended to find out what his suspect was doing on the night of the murder. Govind felt his responses had a mix of guilt and anxiety, hinting at the possibility of a more significant role in the tragic events that had unfolded. He asked Ankitha to investigate Mr Manirathnam’s father’s background.

An hour later, Govind began again with his next one in line by asking, “Mrs Maniratnam, did you notice any unusual behaviour or receive any threats directed towards your husband before his untimely demise?”

Mrs. Maniratnam wiped a tear from her eye and took a deep breath before responding, “No... nothing.”

“Can you think of anyone who might have held a grudge against your husband, perhaps due to business or personal matters?” asked Govind, leaning in slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze distant. “There were competitors, as always, but I never thought they would go this far. My husband was always cautious in his dealings.”

“Understood. Was there anything troubling your husband that he might have concealed from the public eye?” questioned Govind, but before Mrs Maniratnam replied, Govind’s phone buzzed.

Apologising, Govind left the room to hear Ankita say, “We got him.”

The following day, assembling all the members involved in the living room, DCP Sharma informed, “Our Inspector Ankita wishes to narrate a story related to this story. I would request all of you to please cooperate with us even though this might seem like a stretch.”

Looking at the dozen people, including the killer, Ankita cleared her throat to say, “There was once a nineteen-year-old girl who lived in a remote village deeply in love with a boy who was just three years older than her. Though they were nothing alike socially, their hearts were one. At least the girl loved him wholeheartedly, while the boy was in for a little fun & spice but nothing else. Their bond lasted as long as the boy was available, and one day, as anticipated, he was no longer available.”

Looking at the killer, realising they got him, Ankita continued, “The girl was heartbroken & stayed alone for a day in solitude until one day the boy summoned her for a little bit for fun. When she denied him the privilege, the boy molested her. When they sought justice, the boy’s father, a powerful businessman, denied accountability. Sent his son to the city and brought the local panchayat to paint the girl in a bad light. They claimed everything, including the fact that the girl was a leech. She took all she could until one day she couldn’t anymore.”

Everyone in the room was shocked yet sceptical about where this was going. “The boy got married and built a reputation as a businessman while the girl’s father was broken, lost and cried in silence. However, there was one thing that the girl’s father waited for. He waited for his son to return from jail. Though many tried, through some means, justice did set the son free, and when he knew what was done to his sister, this lumberjack of a man who hacked three in the past made his way to the boy’s home in the big city, served him for a while to plan his exit and clipped his head off when he thought he could not be caught.”

When many in the room mapped the dots, Krishnakanth announced, “Sooner or later, we get what we deserve.”

Saying so, he extended his hands to be taken into custody, and as he was taken away, Govind approached Mrs Maniratnam to inform her, “I am sorry for your loss, but your husband had it coming.”

As he left, Govind thought, “Killing is never a solution, but for a guy like Maniratnam, it was mercy to be killed in his sleep. For what he has done, there were worse ways to go!”