Relative held for murder of elderly woman in Alappuzha

Kottayam: Police arrested the accused in connection with the brutal murder of an elderly woman, whose body was found submerged in the backwaters near Kanakakunnu in Muthukulam, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha. He was remanded in judicial custody on Friday.

The deceased was identified as Thankamma, 80, wife of the late Bhaskaran of Thekkathil, Sadhupuram South, Muthukulam. Police took Prakashan, a relative of Thankamma and a resident of Kochu Padanna near Kanakakunnu Jetty, into custody on Thursday. A native of Kallikkad, Arattupuzha, he purchased a house and property in Kanakakunnu and had been residing there for two years.

Thankamma, who lived alone, was found missing from Monday morning. Her son lives separately with his family and her daughter lives at her husband's house. The door of Thankamma’s house was found open, with no signs of a struggle inside. After neighbours alerted the daughter, she arrived at the elderly woman’s house and searched. She later filed a complaint with Kanakakunnu police.

Early Tuesday morning, workers out for fishing and sand collection near Keerikkad Jetty spotted a body floating in the backwaters. Police and fire force personnel fished the body, which drifted near Kanakakunnu Jetty, out of the water. Both hands and legs were found bound.

Thankamma's four gold bangles, a necklace and earrings were missing. Police initially suspected it as premeditated murder carried out to rob gold. After questioning people in the area, police zeroed in on Prakashan.

According to police, Prakashan reached Thankamma's house that morning to repair her stove. Facing financial difficulties, he threatened Thankamma and forcibly removed her ornaments. Fearing exposure, he struck her on the back of the head, killing her. He then bound her hands and legs with a bedsheet and lungi, tied a large stone around her neck and submerged the body in the backwaters.

Prakashan’s absence from Thankamma's post-death rituals — while everyone else in the neighbourhood participated — drew police suspicion. Intensive scrutiny of CCTV footage from the area helped close in on him. The stolen gold was later recovered from a jewellery shop in Kayamkulam.