Kerala Realtor Mami's Missing Case: Early Investigation Flaws and Ongoing Probe

Kozhikode: The initial investigation by the local police into the disappearance of real-estate businessman Attoor Muhammad (56), also known as Mami, hailing from Eramangalam in Balussery, has been deemed flawed, with officers reportedly failing to collect crucial evidence.

Mami left home on August 21, 2023, telling his wife that he might return late. A building owner later informed Nadakkavu Police that Mami had been seen at Kozhikode Beach that day. However, police at the time examined only two CCTV cameras — one near the CD Tower where he was last spotted, and another near a beachside coffee shop. Both cameras were non-functional at the time.

Mobile tower data from the day of his disappearance indicated that Mami had traveled from Arayidathupalam to Thalakkulathur. Yet within this stretch were at least 60 operational CCTV cameras, none of which were checked by the first investigation team. It was only in the second week of September 2024, more than a year and a month after he went missing, that the Kozhikode Crime Branch took over the case. Their team then reviewed CCTV locations across the Arayidathupalam–Thalakkulathur route. By then, however, all footage from 2023 had been lost from the hard drives.

The case is now being probed by a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) U Preman of Crime Branch Squad 3. Police say Mami’s phone was switched off on the afternoon of the day after he disappeared. He had no relatives or close friends in Thalakkulathur, the location where his mobile signal was last traced.

On August 22, 2023, his driver Ranjith, a business associate, Binoj, and his wife were the last to call him. Mami did not usually take his driver along everywhere, and it was only that day that his disappearance was reported to the police. Nadakkavu Police registered the FIR at 11.56 pm. His wife, Ramlath, who lives at the Nakshatra Apartments near the YMCA Cross Road, filed the complaint stating that he left home at 9.30 am on August 21 and did not return.

The Crime Branch has since recorded statements from around 200 people. Investigators say it has become clear from witness accounts that Mami was not someone who openly discussed business matters or personal details even with those close to him. The ongoing investigation is now focused on piecing together the last movements of Mami and identifying any potential leads that may have been overlooked.