Keralam’s Sukumara Kurup case: Can a fugitive be presumed dead? What does the law say?

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Story so far : Sukumara Kurup, one of Keralam’s most infamous fugitives, is back in the limelight after a Malayalam news channel aired an image of a man in Brunei, claiming it was a recent photograph of Kurup in hiding. Kurup is wanted in connection with the 1984 murder of N.J. Chacko in Mavelikara , allegedly as part of a plan to fake his own death and claim a life insurance payout. Despite several attempts by investigation teams to trace him since then, Kurup has remained absconding.

Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, however, said on Friday (August 28, 2026) that reports that Kurup is still alive were “only rumours” and directed the Crime Branch to verify them. Crime Branch ADGP H. Venkatesh told The Hindu that the information shared by the news channel would be sent to Interpol for verification.

An Interpol Red Corner Notice, which is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action, is already in existence in Kurup’s name. Mr. Venkatesh said the case will not be closed unless there is conclusive evidence that Kurup is dead.

The case dates back to January 1984, when Kurup allegedly faked his own death by substituting another man, N.J. Chacko, whose body was found in a burnt car. The alleged motive was to fraudulently claim a large insurance payout from a policy taken out by Kurup while he was in Abu Dhabi.

Though the police nabbed all others believed to have been involved in the conspiracy, Kurup eluded. So the case was charge sheeted without him as the accused. One of the culprits was transposed as an approver and was examined as an eye witness. Kurup’s brother-in-law and his driver were arrayed as the first and second accused respectively. Kurup’s wife and her sister were arraigned as third and fourth accused respectively. Learned Sessions Judge convicted the first and second accused of murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, but the remaining accused were acquitted.

Thrissur man claims viral photo attributed to fugitive Sukumara Kurup is of his brother

The Kerala High Court dealt with the appeals in Ponnappan and Another v. State of Kerala (1984), upholding the convictions and sentences and dismissing the appeals.

Kurup has remained absconding since then, and the case has, over the years, attracted considerable public attention, including film adaptations. There have also been several reports of Kurup being spotted in different places and disguises, but none has yielded any substantial lead.

Sections 110 and 111 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, corresponding to Sections 107 and 108 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, deal with the burden of proving whether a person is alive or dead.

Section 110 says that when a person is shown to have been alive within the previous 30 years, the burden of proving his death lies on the person who asserts it.