The quiet struggles of Justin Raj, builder-turned-hotelier, end in tragedy

Justin Raj wasn’t just a hotelier. He was a well-known PWD contractor, the man behind several prominent government buildings in the city, including the DGP office, transport stations in Thampanoor and Ponmudi, and projects by the Habitat Group. A man of experience in large-scale construction, Justin’s downfall began when government payments were delayed, forcing him to take private loans to keep his projects afloat.

When creditors started pressing him for repayment, Justin pivoted to the hotel business, partnering with three friends to manage a modest eatery near Cotton Hill School. He reportedly told close associates that the hotel brought in about ₹30,000 per month, a small but steady stream of income. Interestingly, he kept his new venture a secret from family members, perhaps out of pride or fear of judgment.

A devout member of the CSI Church and a close friend of late Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalat, Justin was known for his precision and personal involvement in all aspects of his work. He was also recovering from angioplasty, having had a stent inserted recently. Weakened physically, Justin remained hands-on at the hotel despite his health challenges.

According to the postmortem report, Justin was fatally assaulted, with chest bones fractured from the force of the attack. His physical frailty meant he stood little chance of defending himself.

On the day of the incident, Justin’s wife Ajitha, who had recently retired from her job at the Housing Board, was returning from Thiruvalla. She was told her husband had met with an “accident.” Upon reaching Thiruvananthapuram, she rushed to the hospital — only to learn that Justin had been murdered. The revelation left her in stunned silence.

What began as a financial crisis quietly reshaping Justin Raj’s life ended in a tragedy that exposed the vulnerability behind a once-commanding figure in the city’s construction landscape.