Alappuzha: Police on Wednesday registered the arrest of three accused in the murder of Kala, who went missing 15 years ago from Mannar in Alappuzha. Earlier today, cops named Anil, Kala's husband, as the prime accused in the case. The accused under arrest are Jinu, Soman and Pramod, all relatives of Anil. According to the First Investigation Report (FIR), the murder stemmed from suspicions that Kala had an extra-marital affair.
The accused were taken to Chengannur District Hospital for medical examination. A relative of Kala rushed towards the accused in a bid to attack them while they were being taken to the vehicle. The relative said the accused lied to them all these years that Kala was living with someone else.
“All four are directly connected to the crime. Kala was murdered at the Perumpuzha bridge, from where Anil took her body, hid it and destroyed all evidence,” said the FIR. However, the report does not specify the method of murder or the place where the body was disposed of.
On Tuesday, police examined a septic tank at a house in Eramathoor near Mannar, where they found evidence confirming the murder. A chain-like object was also retrieved from the pit and it will be examined by a special forensic team soon to arrive in Mannar, police said.
Police are also working to confirm Anil's current location, suspecting he might be in Israel. The probe team will seek Interpol's assistance to verify Anil’s passport details and are also contacting the Malayali associations in Israel for further evidence.
But the couple's son was not ready to believe that his mother was dead. "My mother isn't dead. She's alive. My father told me not to be afraid," said Kala’s son to Manorama News.
Kala's family, however, said the accused must be brought to justice. "The accused should receive a sufficient sentence. We believed Kala was alive and thought she had left, abandoning her son. That’s why we didn’t file a missing person complaint," her brother Anil Kumar told Manorama News.
Anil's family reportedly opposed his marriage to Kala, who belonged to a different community. The couple lived separately from his family, and after marriage, Anil went to work in Angola. Rumours of Kala having an affair led to domestic disturbances, prompting Kala to attempt to return to her house. Anil demanded custody of their son during this period.
Reports suggest that the couple reconciled and travelled together to Kuttanad, where Anil allegedly called his friends and killed Kala in the car. One of the accused had previously served a jail term for attempting to endanger his wife and children.
