Ambalapuzha: The police have arrested a man here after an autopsy revealed that his wife’s death was a case of murder.
The arrested person Sasi (66) of Syam Nivas, Karoor, Thekkenada at Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha district had earlier taken his wife Rema (63) to hospital with injuries to her head and other areas. He had claimed that she suffered the injuries following a fall from a chair.
Sasi was arrested by Circle Inspector S Dwijesh and sub-inspector Tolson P Joseph and presented before the court, which remanded him.
Incidentally, after the autopsy proved that the Rema was murdered, Sasi had initially blamed his son Sarath for the death. However, following detailed interrogation, Sasi admitted to killing his wife.
What happened on the fateful day
“The couple’s son Sarath had left their house around 8.30 am last Tuesday for an MBA exam. Then, Sasi started beating Rema,” said a police officer.
“Around 9.15 am, Rema received a call from her sister. The sister heard Rema crying during the conversation. While the siblings were speaking, the phone connection was cut abruptly,” said the officer.
Sometime later, Rema’s sister called her again. “Sasi picked up the phone and told Rema’s sister that Rema was dead,” said the police.
Subsequently, Sasi called an ambulance and took Rema to Government TD Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, where doctors declared her brought dead. Rema had in total eight injuries, six of them on her head. Sasi told doctors that the injuries were caused when Rema fell from a chair.
Turning point
Sasi then tried to obtain the clearance certificate for a natural death from the police in order to cremate Rema’s body. However, Sarath reached the hospital by this time and expressed suspicions over his mother’s death and so the police declined the clearance certificate.
Rema’s body was sent for an autopsy, which was conducted by Forensic expert Dr Snehal Ashok. During the autopsy, it was revealed that Rema was killed.
Based on this information, the police questioned Sasi and confronted him with 12 pieces of circumstantial evidence, following which he admitted to the murder. The police also took the statement of the driver of the ambulance in which Rema was taken to hospital and also recreated the scene at Sasi’s house with the help of Dr Ashok.
“Rema was suffering from asthma for 20 years and Parkinson’s disease for 12 years,” said the police.
“She was killed due to some very heavy blows to her head with a hand,” added the officer.
Meanwhile, neighbours told the police that regular quarrels took place between Sasi and Rema at home. Sasi often resorted to violence against his wife, they added.