The police on Thursday nabbed a couple suspected of murdering an elderly woman at Korthussery in Alappuzha.
Officials said that Mathews of Kattoor in Alappuzha and Sharmila of Udupi had been taken into custody from Manipal in Karnataka. “They will be brought to Alappuzha on Friday morning. The motive behind the murder can be ascertained after questioning,” said an official.
The body of Subhadra, 73, of Kadavanthra in Kochi, who went missing on August 4, 2024, was recovered from the premises of a rented house on Tuesday (September 10). The police said the couple had gone into hiding after committing the crime.
The Mannancherry police are investigating the case. Though the police have not yet established an exact reason, they suspect the couple killed the woman and stole her cash and gold ornaments.
As per the post-mortem report, the elderly woman was strangled to death. It revealed multiple injuries and broken ribs on her body.
Both Subhadra and Sharmila had known each other for quite some time. The elderly woman had attended the wedding of Mathews and Sharmila a few years ago. She used to visit the couple at the rented house at Korthussery.
The police launched an investigation after Subhadra’s son filed a missing person complaint on August 7. Investigators found that Subhadra’s mobile phone was switched off within the Mannancherry police station limits, leading them to the house. CCTV footage examined by the police showed Subhadra with the couple near the house in August. During a search of the premises, the police discovered a recently dug pit. A cadaver dog from the police squad helped trace the body, which was found in a decomposed state.
Published – September 12, 2024 06:14 pm IST
