📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Diaspora dept
Crime
Kerala Friend Arrested in US Over Alleged Onam-Related Double Homicide
✍️ indianexpress.com
🗓 01 Sep 2026, 03:04 PM
👁 194
Three friends from Kerala were celebrating the Onam festival in the United States when police arrested one of them on suspicion of killing the other two.
A small group of three friends from Kerala were observed taking part in traditional Onam festivities while staying in the United States. The gathering, described by witnesses as a modest cultural celebration, included customary meals and decorations reminiscent of the harvest festival back home.
Local law‑enforcement officials later intervened, taking one of the three into custody on allegations that he was involved in the deaths of the other two participants. According to a police statement, the suspect was arrested after investigators linked him to the alleged homicides, though the exact circumstances surrounding the killings have not been disclosed.
Authorities said the case is being treated as a homicide investigation, and the detained individual faces charges that could include murder and related offenses. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives gathering forensic evidence and interviewing potential witnesses to reconstruct the events.
The incident has drawn attention from the Kerala diaspora community in the United States, prompting concerns about safety and the need for cooperation with local authorities. The Indian consulate has been notified, and officials have offered assistance to the families of the victims while the legal process proceeds.
Local law‑enforcement officials later intervened, taking one of the three into custody on allegations that he was involved in the deaths of the other two participants. According to a police statement, the suspect was arrested after investigators linked him to the alleged homicides, though the exact circumstances surrounding the killings have not been disclosed.
Authorities said the case is being treated as a homicide investigation, and the detained individual faces charges that could include murder and related offenses. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives gathering forensic evidence and interviewing potential witnesses to reconstruct the events.
The incident has drawn attention from the Kerala diaspora community in the United States, prompting concerns about safety and the need for cooperation with local authorities. The Indian consulate has been notified, and officials have offered assistance to the families of the victims while the legal process proceeds.