Fri Sep 12 15:37:11 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Skeletal Remains Found, Shedding Light on 2019 Kozhikode Disappearance**
**Kozhikode, September 12, 2025** – The Elathur police have recovered the skeletal remains of Vijil Vijayan, a West Hill resident who vanished in 2019. The recovery follows a reinvestigation into the disappearance, initially treated as a missing person case. Police allege that Vijayan died of a drug overdose six years ago and was secretly buried by his friends to cover up the incident.
After a five-day search, authorities located the remains at the alleged burial site. A few days earlier, a shoe believed to belong to the victim was found with the assistance of a human remains detection dog.
Two individuals, K.K. Nikhil and S. Deepesh, previously arrested in connection with the case and later released into police custody, were brought to the scene for identification purposes.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on March 24, 2019. The breakthrough came when investigators pieced together the events leading up to Vijayan’s disappearance and the activities of his companions. “At the end of a detailed interrogation, the friends disclosed details of the incident,” said a senior police officer.
Police claim that Vijil was injected with a fatal dose of brown sugar, leading to his immediate death. Instead of seeking medical assistance, the friends allegedly panicked and fled the scene. They returned the following day to bury the body in a marshy area, weighing it down with stones.
Authorities stated there were subsequent attempts by the suspects to retrieve the remains and dispose of them at sea.
While investigators are exploring the possibility of a planned murder, the suspects have been provisionally charged under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. Police are currently searching for one additional suspect who remains at large.
A motorcycle used by the victim has also been recovered. Police say that the suspects removed the two-wheeler from the scene to divert attention to the missing case. Similarly, they had reportedly thrown away Vijil’s mobile phone after deleting data and call records. The case was reinvestigated on a petition submitted by Vijil’s father to the State Police Chief.
First Piper 