The death of a woman at Chottanikkara, which was originally believed to be a case of suicide, has turned out to be a murder allegedly committed by her husband, according to the rural police.
Shaiju, 37, of Chottanikkara was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the incident. His wife Shari was reportedly found hanging from the roof of their bedroom on December 25. Incidentally, theirs was a love marriage.
It was initially reported with the police as a case of suicide. The police were also told that the accused in an attempt to rescue her had brought her down and rushed her to a private hospital at Chottanikkara. However, a probe conducted by a special team formed by the District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) found it to be a case of murder.
According to the police, the accused strangulated Shari using a shawl out of suspicion. Reportedly, on the afternoon of December 25, the accused returned home drunk and forced her to consume alcohol. In her intoxicated state, the accused allegedly strangulated her, besides smothering her to ensure her death.
Then he allegedly attempted to hang her up in the bedroom using shawls in an attempt to create the impression of a suicide. When it failed, he, instead, rushed her to the hospital to sell the story of suicide.
However, the statements of the doctor who conducted the post-mortem, evidence from the scene, and the statements of the accused and those of the witnesses proved crucial in picking holes in his story.
A team led by Puthencruz DySP T.B. Vijayan and comprising inspectors K.P. Jayaprasad, K.G. Gopakumar, D.S. Indra Raj, and V. Rajesh Kumar and assistant sub inspector Biju John made the arrest. The police will file for the custody of the accused who remains remanded in judicial custody.
