Adimali: The police on Tuesday took Manikkunnel Binoy Xavier, the accused in Sindhu murder case, to his house at Panikkankudi in Adimali in Idukki district and collected evidence in the sensational Sindhu murder case.
The evidence collection, which began from 11 a.m., lasted upto 3 p.m. A calm and composed Binoy narrated the entire murder story to the police as though nothing had happened.
The spade and the shovel used for digging the pit and kitchen floor, the kerosene lamp used during the crime and gold ornaments of Sindhu were recovered from Binoy's house. Binoy gave a statement that the clothes of Sindhu were thrown into Ponmudi lake.
The investigation and questioning would continue after the court sent him in police custody.
The police said Binoy had plans to renovate his house that included the kitchen area where he had allegedly buried Sindhu after murdering her.
He got sanction for renovation of his house under a government scheme. This was why he had decided to bury the body under the kitchen so that he could construct the kitchen again so as to destroy the entire evidence forever.
BINOY'S ACCOUNT OF MURDER
The police said that on August 11, Binoy went to the office of the State Backward Classes Development Corporation in Idukki and arranged a housing loan. While coming back in the evening, he saw Sindhu talking to someone over the phone. Though an enraged Binoy asked her about the whereabouts of the caller, Sindhu did not reveal it. An altercation between the two followed. But Binoy himself put an end to the fight.
Binoy soon made a decision to kill Sindhu. As part of a strategy, he sent the 12-year-old son of Sindhu to his sister's house. At midnight, there was again a quarrel between the two. Sindhu was beaten up and strangled by Binoy. She was pushed to an open space outside the house. He then sat on her chest and pressed hard on her face. Her ribs were broken. When Sindhu was found lying in an unconscious state, Binoy took her to the side of a nearby pit, poured kerosene on her body and tried to set her aflame. Sindhu then cried loudly, forcing Binoy to retract from the act. Binoy then threw her in the pit. The body was then covered with dry leaves.
Later, sensing that the area where she was dumped was not safe, he took out the body from the pit. He demolished the old kitchen platform at his house and dug the floor of the kitchen to make a pit. After removing her dress and golden ornaments, he buried the body inside the pit. He covered her face with a plastic sheet. He filled the spot with mud. Then he kept two rows of brick. Above this space, he restored the kitchen platform to its earlier form and pasted cow dung on it. To get a normal look, he even spread nutmegs on the kitchen platform. He also lit the kitchen burner again.
MOBILE PHONE GIFTED TO SINDHU'S SON
After committing the crime, Binoy took special care to maintain good relations with Sindhu's son Akhil. Binoy presented him with a mobile phone worth Rs 7,500.
Akhil had suffered an injury in his hand one month before Sindhu's murder. But on the next day of the murder, Binoy took him for treatment at the Adimali Taluk Hospital with the aim of keeping the boy away from the murder spot.
When the boy asked about his mother, Binoy said that she had gone to collect fodder grass in the field. When quizzed by the boy, Binoy replied that she might have gone with someone else. The boy stayed with Binoy till the relatives filed a complaint with the police that Sindhu was missing.
The relatives later took the boy to the house of Sindhu's mother.
PROUD MOMENTS FOR PROBE TEAM
The Vellathooval police, which probed the case, are jubilant over the fact that Binoy could be arrested before he left Kerala.
According to the police, Binoy was their main focus of inquiry once the disappearance of Sindhu was reported. But Binoy managed to hoodwink the police many times.
Binoy wanted to cross over to the neighbouring State after arranging some money from his native place. But the police found out the new SIM card taken by Binoy and trapped him by tracing his mobile tower location.
The probe team members were Idukki Deputy Superintendent of Police Immanuel Paul, Vellathoval Circle Inspector R Kumar and Sub Inspectors Rajeh Kumar, Saji N Paul and C R Santhosh.
The Idukki District Police Superintendent R.Karuppa Swamy had appointed them to crack the case.