Police Arrest Man for Killing Harbour Fee Collector and Hiding Body in Septic Tank

A young man was taken into custody by Sakthikulangara police for killing 55-year‑old Nizar, who collected fees at the harbour toilet block, and dumping his body in the harbour’s septic tank. Workers cleaning the tank on September 30 discovered decomposed remains hidden beneath a mat, prompting officials to alert the police. An autopsy at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital ruled the death a homicide. Relatives identified the victim when the clothes and personal items matched Nizar’s, and DNA samples from family members were sent to the forensic lab for confirmation. Investigators examined CCTV footage, spoke with nearby shop owners, room tenants and harbour staff, and traced the suspect to Shyam Jith, also known as Jithu, a Kottiyam native who had worked at the harbour for two and a half years under the toilet‑block contractor and quit abruptly on August 24. A police team led by Kollam West Inspector Vipin arrested Jith after questioning led to his confession. Police say the murder stemmed from a verbal clash inside the toilet block, where Nizar allegedly abused Jith, who then assaulted and struck him on the head, causing death. After confirming the fatal injury, Jith placed the body in the septic tank. The arrest was carried out by a special team supervised by Kollam ACP Shaji and Inspector Vipin, including Sakthikulangara SHO Aneesh Kumar, SIs Ajith and Santhosh Kumar, SCPOs Ajith and Sujith, and CPO Reeja. ## Context The case highlights how routine harbour operations can become crime scenes and shows the role of DNA profiling and CCTV in solving local murders.