Son stabs retired expat father to death in India, injures mum

Ras Al Khaimah - Thomas Kottavilayil was working with etisalat till 1998 when he sustained serious injuries in a road accident

The Indian expatriate community in Ras Al Khaimah is shocked over the tragic story of an expat family back in India, where a 23-year-old son stabbed his father to death and seriously injured his mother.
According to sources close to the family, Thomas Kottavilayil, his wife Mariyamma Thomas and their five children were residents of Ras Al Khaimah for more than two decades. Wheelchair-bound Thomas was allegedly murdered by his son Thomas Isaac in Kerala on Wednesday after his parents refused to buy him a sports bike. The mother, who sustained multiple injuries is discharged from the hospital after a surgery and the son is in the custody of Kerala police.
Thomas Kottavilayil was working with etisalat till 1998 when he sustained serious injuries in a road accident. His wife retired from an RAK hospital last month as a staff nurse. Two of the couple's children are still working in the UAE.
"The couple went back to Kerala on January 14 to lead a retired life. Two of their daughters are working in the UAE and two other daughters are working in India. Their only son, who is in police custody now, was also in Ras Al Khaimah about a month ago," said Stanley Thomson, a family friend.
Thomas was cremated at St George Orthodox Church, Anandapally in Adoor, Kerala, on Friday. "We had a special prayer for him at the Ras Al Khaimah Church, Stanley added. "Thomas had survived a major accident in which two other people in his vehicle had died," said Stanley.
Reghu Nandan, former teacher of Indian Public School in Ras al Khaimah said: "It is a very unfortunate and tragic incident that shocked the Indian expatriate community. I know the family for many years and the son was my student for three years. We can't believe that he killed his own father."
"Mariyamma Thomas was taking care of the family with her salary after her husband got bedridden," said Sreedhar Prasad, a former colleague of the mother.
"I don't know what is the reason for the killing but there was some minor dispute in the family that resulted in the tragedy," Sreedhar Prasad said.
Isaac just completed his engineering studies but did not pass all the papers. He too wanted to come back and find a job in the UAE, said Reghu Nandan, adding that he was pursuing a certificate course in Thiruvananthapuram and had visited his parents in Ras Al Khaimah recently.
sathish@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai