Anchal: The mother and sister of Sooraj, accused of killing his wife Uthra by making a snake bite her, have been arrested.

Sooraj's mother Renuka and sister Soorya have been charged with domestic violence and destroying evidence in the murder case. The police had earlier found discrepancies in their statements.

While they were not involved in the plot to murder Uthra, they were involved in the destruction of evidence and domestic violence, the police said.

Uthra died on May 7 after being bitten by the cobra Sooraj had released in her room at her parents’ house in Anchal, Kollam. Incidentally, Uthra was recuperating from an earlier snakebite when she died. The police found that Sooraj had tried to get her killed using the same method on March 2.

On May 7, however, Uthra was unconscious when the snake bit her. The police said Sooraj had given her sleep-inducing pills before she went to bed.

When it became certain that Sooraj would be arrested for causing the death of Uthra using a cobra, his family allegedly helped him to hide his wife's gold jewellery in an attempt to save him, the police said.

Sooraj and his father Surendran were later arrested in connection with the case.

Sooraj had publicly confessed that he had killed Uthra with a snake.

He made the confession when forest department officials had taken him to his house at Parakode after arrest to collect evidence in the case. Confronted by the media at the house, when the forest department officials asked him if he had anything to say, Sooraj burst into tears and said he had killed Uthra.