Kochi: More details into the murder of a young woman at a hotel in Ernakulam have emerged with the interrogation of the accused.
Reshma Ravi (27), was stabbed to death in a hotel room in the city on Thursday after brutal physical torture by her male partner, P A Noushid.
At one point, she was even pleading with the accused to kill her, said a police source.
Police unearthed the video revealing the last moments of Reshma from the accused’s mobile. The chilling video was shot minutes before her death.
Reshma, from Changanassery in Kottayam district, was stabbed to death at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday.
The Ernakulam North Police recorded the arrest of Reshma's friend and caretaker of the same hotel Noushid of Balussery in Kozhikode district. He was earlier taken into custody in connection with the case.
The murder took place at Kaippilly Apartment Hotel on North Kaippilly Lane.
Motive of crime
Interrogation of Noushid revealed he killed Reshma to avenge her slight, police said.
Reshma had made fun of some of Noushid's physical characteristics and shared the same with her friends, igniting revenge in him, said interrogators.
Noushid told the cops, they claimed, that Reshma had practised witchcraft on him and that was the reason for his physical disability.
Reshma and Noushid had met on social media before becoming close to each other. Reshma had pressurised Noushid to rent a flat to start a life together.
According to his statement, Reshma made defamatory remarks about him when he was not ready for a live-in. Following this, on Wednesday, Noushid called Reshma to a room on the second floor of the hotel.
As soon as Reshma arrived at the room, he started questioning and beating her for teasing him. All this was captured on the mobile.
According to Noushid, Reshma at one point asked him to 'kill her' as she could not bear the mental and physical torture, following which he stabbed her in the neck with a knife.
The accused himself called the hotel owner and informed him that he had stabbed Reshma. Reshma was still alive when the police reached the spot. She was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance but could not be saved.
Bizarre claims
Police suspect that Noushid is apparently attempting to convey the impression that he is unsound by giving contradictory answers during his interrogation.
Some of his statements are reportedly unconvincing and bizarre. He claimed his mouth would be filled with blood after he woke up after sleeping with Reshma.
And he believed the same was the result of witchcraft.
There are similar allegations in the visuals captured by Noushid in which he was seen questioning Reshma before brutally killing her.
The accused was earlier booked for an attempt-to-murder at the Aluva East Police Station, police said.
Reshma has been staying in Ernakulam for some time now. It's been months since she went home. She had told her relatives over the phone that she would come home for Onam.
Her funeral will take place today at 12 noon.