Former Ranji cricket player Jayamohan Thampi was found dead at his house in Trivandrum on Monday morning. His body was found after the neighbours informed the police as a stinking smell was emanating from his house. Going by the preliminary autopsy report, it was found that a head injury was the cause of death.

After investigation, it was found that the cricketer was murdered by his son Ashwin, who was arrested on Tuesday evening. Reportedly, it was not a planned crime. Ashwin and his neighbour were having alcohol and soon a fight started up between Ashwin and Thampi over an ATM card.

Ashwin hit Thampi on his nose with force, after the duo ended up in a quarrel over money. Thampi's head hit the wall and got seriously injured. "He then banged his father’s forehead on the wall. After Jayamohan fell to the ground, Ashwin caught hold of his hair and banged the back of his head on the floor. No weapons were used for committing the murder,” said the police. Ashwin's friend who is in custody is not an eye-witness to the incident.

The incident is said to have happened on Saturday. However, Ashwin was not aware of his father’s death as he had been in an inebriated state since the incident until Monday. It was only after the visit of Kudumbashree workers who sensed foul smell, the neighbors also noticed. Jayamohan’s servant reported that quarrel between the father and son is a regular practice in the house post the death of Thampi's wife.

A flamboyant player, Thampi was wicketkeeper-batsman of 1982-84 Kerala Ranji team. He retired from the State Bank of Travancore and was appointed on a contract basis with the Audit Department of the State Bank of India. Jayamohan Thampi's wife had died earlier and so Ashwin and he has been living alone for a while.