Kozhikode: A crucial breakthrough in the probe into the Koodathayi serial killings has been made after prime suspect Jolly Joseph pointed fingers at her current husband Shaju Sakharias over the murder of his first wife Sily, police sources said.
The Special Investigation Team has also found out that Jolly had plotted for months to kill Sily and had twice attempted the murder but in vain. Meanwhile, the 47-year-old could soon be arrested in the murder of Alphine, the toddler daughter of Sily and Shaju, one of her six suspected victims.
She had married Shaju after Sily's death in 2016.
Jolly was arrested recently over the murder of Sily soon after she was booked over the murder of her first husband Roy Thomas after she owned up for this latter crime as well as five others that she had executed with the use of poison from 2002 to 2016 mainly at Koodathayi in Kerala’s Kozhikode district.
Jolly reportedly told the police that she had twice made attempts to kill Sily by giving her cyanide-mixed Ayurveda tonic. When these failed, rumours were spread that Sily was ill. Jolly also said that Shaju had helped her in these bids.
Jolly stated so as she was taken for evidence collection at Kodenchery, Thamarassery and Kozhikode town on Thursday.
At Shaju's Pulikayam house at Kodenchery, Jolly also pointed out to the cops the wall cupboard from where Shaju had given her the tonic and which she had in turn given to Sily, after spiking it with poison.
Jolly reiterated Shaju's role in the murder in the presence of his parents.
She also said that she had bought mushroom pill, a food supplement to be given to Sily, from the medical shop opposite the KSRTC terminal. Though the cops went to the shop on Thursday evening, it was shut.
Sily was allegedly murdered by Jolly after giving her cyanide-coated mushroom pill on January 11, 2016.
Jolly had also mixed cyanide in a bottle of water taken from her house at Koodathayi. After mixing the poison kept in the kitchen cupboard, she kept the bottle in her bag.
At the dental hospital at Thamarassery, Jolly made Sily consume both the poisoned pill and water.
The probe team also took Jolly to the dental hospital on Thursday and sought details about the events of that fateful day from her as well as the doctors and staff.
The medical staff reportedly confirmed that they had seen Jolly.
How fake will was made?
The probe team has also found out how Jolly had forged a fake will to get hold of the property of Tom Thomas, the father of her first husband Roy. Jolly told the police that the fake will was forged at a document writer's office at Ramanattukara.
After preparing the will, she got a Xerox of it from a photostat centre at Kunnamangalam. Then a Xerox image of another paper that had Tom Thomas’ signature was transferred on to this copy of will. Thus she managed to get her father-in-law's signature on the copy of the fake will. She then destroyed the fake will, investigators were reportedly told.
Jolly had presented the copy of the fake will to get the assets shifted to her name. A notary, an advocate at Kunnamangalam, had certified this will. After making the fake will, she decided to kill Tom Thomas, Jolly told the probe team.
Jolly made the revelations about the fake will while she was questioned over the Sily murder case. These details have been passed on to the probe team investigating the Tom Thomas’ murder, the first case over which Jolly was booked and that had led to the unravelling of the five other murders.
Jolly had pointed out to the cops to the photostat centre at Kunnamangalam.
Arrest in Aphine murder case too
Thamarassery: Jolly could also be arrested in the murder of Alphine. The police had questioned Shaju and his father Sakharias over this for five hours the other day. They were summoned to the DySP office at Thamarassery on Thursday evening after Jolly was taken to their house for evidence collection.
Alphine who was admitted to the hospital on May 1, 2014, had died on May 3. Jolly had earlier told the probe team that she had given cyanide-laced food to the child during the feast on the occasion of the elder boy's Holy Communion.
Sources said that the cops could soon arrest those who are suspected to be involved in the Alphine murder.
The police meanwhile took the statement of Jolly's brother, who is based at Kattappana in Idukki, after he was summoned for this.
The probe team is expected to present Jolly in the court on Saturday morning after completing the evidence collection in the Sily murder case.
