For nearly four decades, only one memory haunted Thaipparambail Antony: that fateful day of December 14, 1986, when he, then 14, allegedly pushed his companion Padikkaparambil Mohanan into a river in Kozhikode’s Koodaranji village. Years passed and life changed: Antony became Muhammedali, had children and settled into his newfound identity, but the memory came back to haunt him.Until one day in June last year, when Muhammedali went to the police and confessed to his alleged crime. A year later, investigators have allegedly pieced together shreds of memories, worn documents, a small newspaper cutting from 1986 and a sketch of the victim to fully understand what happened to Padikkaparambil Mohanan 38 years ago.Investigators say Muhammedali — then Thaipparambail Antony — and Mohanan, then 22, worked as farm hands in the field of a local farmer. The two allegedly had a dispute while working.“When Mohanan allegedly made an attempt to sexually assault Muhammedali, he pushed him into the river, causing him to drown,” Thiruvambady police station house officer K Prasanth said. “A native of Kudiyanmala in Kannur, Mohanan had come to Koodaranji only days before, so people didn’t know who the body belonged to. The body was cremated as unidentified and the matter was then closed.”The alleged incident made a significant impact on Muhammedali, causing him to run away from home and take up sundry jobs across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Eventually, he converted from Christianity to Islam, took the name Muhammedali and settled in Vengara in Malappuram, where he now works as a coconut climber.But the alleged incident continued to haunt Muhammedali, the death of one of his four children at the age of nine adding to that weight.“I wanted to confess years ago but waited until my children had grown up and become self-sufficient. My daughter is married off and two sons are employed. I have no liabilities, and decided to disclose the murder,” Muhammedali said. “My first wife abandoned me. The thought that I should reveal my crime gained weight after my son’s death.”Story continues below this adFollowing his alleged confession, Thiruvambadi Police in Kozhikode registered a case of murder and arrested Muhammedali, who was sent to judicial custody. He was eventually released on bail, and his fading memories of the victim helped police prepare a sketch.But Muhammedali’s alleged confession caught more than just the police’s attention. For nearly a year after his disappearance in 1986, Mohanan’s family in Kudiyanmala in Kannur remained in the dark, wondering why they hadn’t heard from him. Then, his father, after noticing the seal of the Koodaranji post office on one of his letters, decided to head there.“He saw the photograph of his son taken during the inquest and recognised him. As Mohanan had a history of epilepsy, he thought he had fallen into the water after a seizure and died,” the SHO said.Also Read | 51 wounds, fractures, burns: Chilling torture of Kerala baby by mother’s partnerIt wasn’t until the family saw news reports of Muhammedali’s alleged confession that the pieces began falling into place. By then, the police, armed with a small news item about the death from 1986, had already begun trying to trace the victim’s family.Story continues below this ad“Since attempted sexual assault had been mentioned as the provocation, Mohanan’s family was reluctant to come forward. It was when the family of the farmer who employed the two recalled that one of them came from Kannur that the police went there,” SHO Prasanth said.Police have no scientific evidence of murder, relying solely on Muhammedali’s alleged confession and corroborating statements from his former employer and Mohanan’s family.“Since he stated to have committed the murder at the age of 14, we are also looking into various legal aspects, including whether provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act should apply,” a police officer said.Although he had allegedly confessed last year to another killing in 1989, police say no FIR was filed after they found no leads in the case.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, Muhammedali claims to feel relieved since going to the police. “The family can now perform rituals for his soul. If permitted, I want to meet his family and apologise. At the same time, I’m ready to undergo the judicial process. I’m a contented, relieved man,” he said.