Murder of 16-Year-Old Girl by Maternal Cousin Premeditated; Police Suspect Revenge for Exposing Theft

Kozhikode: A 16-year-old girl was murdered in a cold-blooded, premeditated attack at her residence in Moozhikkal, Chelavoor East, Kozhikode. The victim, Nasreena, daughter of Nizar and Ramzeena of Poothamkuzhi, was smothered to death in the early hours by her 20-year-old maternal cousin Adnan. Adnan subsequently took his own life, according to police.

Police say Adnan executed the attack with meticulous planning. He entered the house through the back door during night, repositioned a CCTV camera to avoid detection — footage of his entry has been recovered by police — and concealed himself inside a room until the early hours of the morning, when he smothered Nasreena to death.

At the time of the incident, Nasreena's mother Ramzeena, two siblings, and grandmother Safiya were present in the house. After killing Nasreena, Adnan proceeded to Safiya's room and attempted to kill her as well. Safiya awoke to the commotion and raised an alarm, drawing people to the scene. Adnan then retreated into another room and bolted the door from inside. When family members arrived, they found Nasreena lying dead in her room. It was only after she was rushed to hospital that Adnan was discovered dead in another room, with plaster taped across his face.

Relatives and neighbours believe the motive was revenge. Nasreena had reportedly witnessed Adnan stealing ₹50,000 from the house and it was later recovered from him. Following the incident, he was barred from visiting the home — a humiliation that, investigators believe, drove him to commit the crime.

Following post-mortem examinations, the bodies were handed over to the respective families. Adnan's body has been buried. Nasreena's funeral will take place after her father Nizar, who is abroad, returns home.