A string of disappearances, all involving middle-aged women, and spread across nearly two decades, is what eventually led investigators to 67-year-old real estate broker Sebastian CM of Cherthala.
The earliest known case dates back to 2006, when Bindu Padmanabhan from Kadakkarappally went missing. She was followed by Aisha in 2012, Sindhu in 2020, and, more recently, Jainamma in 2024, all in the age group between 45 and 55 years. Each of these women had either financial or property-related dealings, and crucially, shared one key vulnerability: limited or no close family connections.
In Bindu’s case, her only brother was working in Italy and had no contact with her for years. He was unaware of her whereabouts until he learned much later that her property had been transferred to someone else.
Grim trail
This grim trail began pointing to Sebastian late last year, following the disappearance of a woman named Jainamma.
Originally from Ettumanoor in Kottayam district, Jainamma had been living alone in Alappuzha, when she went missing without a trace. Like several other cases involving women in the region over the past two decades, her disappearance too might have faded into silence, if not for the police tracing her last known mobile signal to the property of 65-year-old Sebastian.
Sebastian, a small-time real estate dealer, lived alone. But his residence soon became the centre of a police operation that would unravel one of the most disturbing criminal investigations in recent memory. During an initial search of the premises last week, investigators discovered charred human remains buried on the property.
The findings raised immediate suspicion. When questioned, Sebastian reportedly denied knowledge of the remains, claiming they were remnants of animal bones from rubbish he had burned. Forensic analysis soon contradicted his version. The fragments bore clear evidence of being human, and investigators decided to widen their search.
Deeper probe
The case, initially registered as a missing person complaint, was reclassified as a murder investigation. What began as a routine inquiry into a single disappearance turned into a deeper probe linking multiple women who had gone missing from the Alappuzha region over a span of nearly 20 years.
Sebastian, a real estate dealer from Pallipuram in Alappuzha district, has been taken into custody
Police reopened three more cold cases, that of Bindhu Padmanabhan, Ayisha and Sindhu. Like Jainamma, all of them had lived alone and had minimal contact with their families. In each case, there had been no solid leads, no trace of struggle, and no body recovered until now.
Acting on new leads, last week the police returned to Sebastian’s property, bringing in forensic experts and a fire and rescue team. Their search led them to a large pond adjacent to the house. After draining it partially, investigators recovered more remains, like bone fragments, suspected human hair, pieces of clothing, and what appeared to be burnt women's accessories.
All materials were sent to the state forensic lab for DNA analysis. Bloodstains were also found inside the house, further deepening suspicions. While the DNA results are still pending, the circumstantial evidence is stacking up.
Modus operandi
Investigators believe Sebastian may have lured women to his home by offering help, financial assistance, or small jobs. Once they were at the property, police suspect they were killed, their bodies burned, and the remains dumped or buried. It is also being investigated whether he financially benefited from their disappearances.
Early inquiries have revealed possible forgery of property documents and the sale of personal items belonging to the victims. Police are examining bank records, land deeds, and loan documents to establish a financial motive.
According to locals, Sebastian was known to be a solitary man. He kept to himself, and few suspected anything unusual about him. However, neighbours now recall that he often interacted with women who were alone, and that he offered to help them with errands or property matters. After their visits, the women were never seen again.
Until recently, these connections had not been linked.
“He has done strange things before, but we never thought it would come to this,” Haridas,73, a neighbour in Pallippuram, told
The Federal.
The nature of the crimes, and the fact that the disappearances spanned nearly two decades, has raised serious questions about how missing person cases are handled. Each case had been closed after a few months of inactive investigation.
Lack of seriousness
In hindsight, investigators admit that the low social visibility of the victims, many of whom had no close family, lived on the margins, or were financially unstable, may have contributed to the lack of urgency in tracking their disappearances.
Ayisha’s family is still reeling from the possibility that she may have been one of the earlier victims. A body found in Muvattupuzha at the time was misidentified, and her relatives had always believed she was still missing.
“If police had investigated more seriously in 2012, maybe this man would’ve been caught years ago,” Ayisha’s nephew, Hussain, 49, said, during a conversation with The Federal.
“How many lives could have been saved?”
Residents and relatives are now questioning whether Sebastian acted alone if he is, indeed, the perpetrator. “He’s diabetic and old. There’s no way he did all this by himself,” said neighbour Haridas, 73. “We think someone else was involved or protected him,” he said.
With Sebastian in custody, police are now expanding the investigation to include other unresolved disappearances from the region.
While they are currently focused on four cases, unofficial sources suggest that at least five more files are being re-examined to look for possible links. The police have not yet filed murder charges formally since they are waiting for the DNA test results and conclusive forensic reports.
Alappuzha in shock
Meanwhile, the community in Alappuzha is in shock. News of the case has dominated headlines and social media.
Protests have broken out in Cherthala and Pallipuram, with locals demanding a full investigation into all unresolved cases of missing women. Police has set up a temporary camp at Sebastian’s property. The pond remains under watch, with divers and forensic teams continuing their work.
Excavation efforts have uncovered more fragments, including what is suspected to be a woman’s footwear and a necklace pendant.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the revelations so far have sparked comparisons with serial killing patterns, where offenders target the most invisible in society.
Yet, the police have stopped short of labelling Sebastian a serial killer until formal charges are filed. Sebastian is in judicial custody.
