The police investigation into the alleged murder of 34-year-old man by his wife at Kalanjoor, Pathanamthitta, took a rather bizarre turn after the victim was traced alive to a village near Thodupuzha, Idukki, on Friday.
Acting on a tip-off, Jaimon, a senior civil police officer on duty at the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police at Thodupuzha, traced Noushad to Thommankuthu. He had been employed at a rubber plantation there as a casual worker and for the fear of being traced, he never used a mobile phone.
The development, meanwhile, has caught the Koodal police on the back foot as it had already arrested Afsana, wife of Noushad, in connection with the missing case. As per a complaint lodged by Noushad’s father, the person had gone missing from his house near Kalanjoor in November 2021.
The case, which soon hit a dead end and turned cold after some time, gained momentum once again recently after Afsana abruptly confessed to killing Noushad. Despite making the confession, Afsana, however, kept on giving contradictory statements as to how she had disposed of the dead body. The police, which had mounted an extensive search in and around Kalanjoor based on her statements, later recorded her arrest for wilfully misleading the investigators and destroying evidence, among other charges. Afsana, who was produced before a magistrate, is currently in judicial custody.
With the case back to square one after the twists and turns, the Pathanamthitta district police was preparing to launch a scientific inquiry to trace his dead body. It, however, was quiet an anti-climax for the investigators with Noushad emerging in the public domain.
“I have no clue as to why Afsana made such claims to the police,” he told the media. According to Noushad, his wife used to pick up quarrels with him regularly, which forced him to run away from the family. “I also had some issues with my neighbours, who had sided with Afsana once during a quarrel. I do not want to go back to that family even now,” he added.
A police team from Pathanamthitta has now taken custody of Noushad for a detailed interrogation. Noushad was produced before the Ranni Judicial First Class Magistrate Court and released. The bail application of Afsana will be considered by the court on Saturday.
“The police will put forward a request to grant bail to Afsana. The case against her for misleading the police, however, is not going to be withdrawn,” said an official.
