Financial liabilities is suspected to be the motive behind the gruesome mass murder at Venjaramoodu near here recently, where a 23 year-old man killed five persons including his brother and girlfriend, police said on Friday.

With mounting financial burden, the family was on the verge of committing suicide.

A senior police officer of the district told a TV channel that the family of the accused, Afan had a debt of over Rs 65 lakh and that it was somewhat clear in the investigation till now that the financial problems pushed him to commit the murders.

Afan, on February 24, allegedly killed his 88-year-old grandmother, 13-year-old brother, girlfriend, paternal uncle and the latter's wife.

He had also brutally attacked his mother, but she survived and is presently undergoing treatment for her injuries.

Afan was arrested on Thursday and remanded to judicial custody till March 13 in connection with the murder of his grandmother.

The officer said the motive behind each murder can be ascertained only after a complete investigation.

However, since the grandmother's gold necklace was mortgaged by Afan and the amount received used to settle some debts, the motive in the case appears to be financial gain, the officer added.

All other circumstances, including drug angle, were being probed.

He further said the accused during his questioning claimed that the family was on the brink of suicide due to the huge financial burden.

Afan also told the police that he killed his girlfriend as she would be alone after his planned suicide, the officer said.

Police were taking steps to get assistance from psychologists and other mental health experts to understand the accused's state of mind, he said.

Meanwhile, Afan's father arrived in Kerala on Friday and met his relatives.

The murders occurred in three different places that fall under two police station limits --Venjaramoodu and Pangode--and the arrest on Thursday was recorded for the crime committed under the Pangode police station limits.

The arrests in other cases will be recorded later, the police have said.

After committing the crime, Afan had appeared before the police in Venjaramoodu and confessed to the horrific acts.

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