Murder suspect arrested at Kochi airport

ALAPPUZHA: Crime Branch (CB) arrested Cheppad resident Sajith (37) at Nedumbassery Airport in connection with the Jalaja murder case on Sunday. Haripad CI T Manoj said that Sajith, who arrived from Qatar, was produced before the judicial first class magistrate court in Ramankary and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks on Monday. Manoj said he confessed his crime and added that he had flown to Qatar on visiting visa. Also, he could not corroborate his earlier statement. Jalaja Suran (51) from Nangiarkulangara was found dead inside her home on August 13, 2015. CB took up the case on September 25, 2015. She was staying in Chennai with her children and her husband was working abroad. She had come for a wedding on August 10."Four months ago, the probe team decided to trace all the people questioned in connection with the murder and they stumbled on Sajith as he had given them an alternative phone number. His repeated Gulf trips intrigued them," Manoj said.The autopsy report said that there were 12 wounds on her head and she had died of these injuries. The report said that she was killed after 3pm on August 13. It added that the killer had cleaned the room and took a bath in the bathroom located upstairs. The police concluded that it was a theft attempt as her bangles and chain were found to be missing. Police interrogated over 500 persons.In September, the district police chief asked the DGP to hand over the case to CB. On March 3, 2016, then home minister Ramesh Chennithala wanted a CBI probe.Now, police are of the view that Sajith took the ornaments to mislead them. He had forgotten to take her earrings then. "The murder was spontaneous. Sajith came to her home looking for his friend and her relative Raju. Jalaja was alone and he misbehaved with her. Things got out of hand and he bludgeoned her. She lost consciousness and was strangulated," police said.