Kasaragod: A 22-year-old man, Albin Benny, has been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of his sister Ann Mary at Balal in Kerala's Kasaragod district.
Ann Mary, 16, died after consuming ice cream laced with poison on August 5. Their parents Benny and Bessy, who have been admitted to the hospital, continue to be in critical condition.
According to police sources, Albin and Ann prepared the ice cream at home. After consuming the ice cream, Ann became unwell and was taken to hospital. She caught jaundice at the hospital and remained critical. She died at the Cherupuzha Private Hospital on August 5.
The post mortem report has revealed the presence of rat poison in Ann's body. The police has confiscated the materials used for making the ice cream and sealed the house.
Failed murder bid with chicken curry
A week before Ann Mary's death, Albin had laced the chicken curry prepared at home with rat poison, according to police sources. However, the family members merely suffered a stomach ache after the incident due to the low amount poison mixed in the dish.
Following the incident, Albin gathered more information on the amount of rat poison required to kill a person from the Internet.
The ice cream was prepared on July 30 and stored in two batches. The first batch was stored in the freezer and the second batch was stored in the lower part of the refrigerator. Albin consumed the first batch with the rest of the family on July 30 and mixed poison in the latter batch, police said.
Complaining of a sore throat, he avoided consuming the second batch. The family ate the ice cream without suspecting any foul play and subsequently fell ill. The mother consumed the least amount of ice cream.
A team led by Kanhangad DySP M P Vinod Kumar, Vellarikundu circle inspector Premsadan and SI Sreedas Puthoor is investigating the case.
Albin is currently in police custody. The youth planned to eliminate his family and use his inheritance to live a life on his own, according to the police.
