'Everything clear': Koodathayi serial murder suspect Jolly's message puts Shaju under scanner

Kozhikode: More startling details as to how Jolly Joseph targeted each of her victims have emerged as the police continue to interrogate the accused over the six suspected murders in Kerala's Koodathayi village.

Police sources said Jolly killed Sily as she hated her and she wanted to marry her husband Shaju.

Sily was allegedly poisoned to death in 2016. Her two-year-old daughter Alphine too died under mysterious circumstances in 2014.

Jolly was named as an accused in the Sily murder case recently. Police sources said Jolly had allegedly given cyanide-coated pills to kill Sily at a dental clinic.

Sily was the wife of Shaju, who was the cousin of Jolly's first husband Roy Thomas. Once both Sily and Roy were eliminated, Jolly married Shaju.

'Shaju knew Jolly's plan'

After the death of Roy in 2011, Sily had constantly warned Shaju from keeping close ties with Jolly. The 47-year-old accused told the police on Tuesday that she was irked by this, and this made her determined to kill Sily.

Jolly reportedly told the police that she had killed Alphine and then Sily as she feared she would not be able to marry Shaju if both of them were alive.

Sily had also objected to Shaju's financial dealings with Jolly. Sily had conveyed this to Jolly also several times. Even Shaju's parents picked up a fight with Sily over this.

After Jolly allegedly killed two-year-old Alphine, daughter of Sily-Shaju, she even told Shaju that Sily too would meet the same fate. Shaju reportedly remained silent on hearing this.

Once Sily’s death was confirmed, Jolly sent a phone message to Shaju, saying 'everything clear.' Shaju was standing next to her, as she sent the message. Jolly even hated Sily, according to the police.

After Sily's death, Shaju's father Sakharias first came up with the proposal of their marriage. Shaju too did not raise any objection.

Jolly also told the sleuths that it was her decision to kiss on Sily's mortal remains jointly with Shaju. This picture that had gone viral amid the revelations had led to a few speculations.

Jolly was booked for Sily's murder the other day weeks after her first arrest over the murder of Roy. She had then reportedly told police about killing five other members of the Ponnamattom family, including Roy's parents, over a period of 14 years from 2002.

The police have now filed separate FIRs in each of the cases.

'Jolly ensured Sily's death'

Sily's relatives alleged Jolly made a successful bid to prevent Sily's transfer to the hospital to ensure that she did not survive after she collapsed after being cyanide-coated pills.

As Sily fainted, her brother Sijo tried to quickly take her to the hospital. But Jolly and Shaju claimed it to be an epileptic seizure and the latter soon went out to get pills for it. Till he returned, Sily remained unconscious at the dental hospital.

Jolly then drove the car in which Sily was taken to the hospital at Omassery. Though other relatives wanted to go to the nearby taluk hospital or the private hospital at Thamarassery, Jolly refused to comply.

If Jolly had gone via the state highway, she would have had to cover a distance of 7 km only, however, she took a longer route of 10 km to reach the hospital.

Sily's relatives also alleged that Jolly pressurised them to avoid an autopsy.

At the hospital, the doctors had declared Sily brought dead. Jolly then urged Sijo to give in writing to avoid a post-mortem. She also asked him to take custody of Sily's gold ornaments. Jolly was allegedly trying to put Sijo's name in all the records.

Sijo reasoned he couldn't act sensibly as his sister died and soon gave the formal request to avoid the autopsy.

Jolly had reportedly claimed Sily's ornaments at the hospital. Recent reports said that the jewellery was missing. However, Jolly on Tuesday told the probe team that she had returned the jewellery to Shaju.

Inspector B K Siju led the interrogation. The probe is being supervised by Thalassery DySP K V Venugopal.