Vijayalakshmi missing case: Police unearth dead body, accused under custody

Alappuzha: Karunagappally police probing the missing case of Kulasekharapuram resident Vijayalakshmi unearthed her mortal remains on Tuesday at Karoor, Ambalappuzha. The cops had earlier detained Jayachandran (50), a resident of Karoor Puthuval in Ambalappuzha, following a complaint by Vijayalakshmi's relatives that she had been missing. The body was found in a pit at a construction site near Jayachandran's house. 

Vijayalakshmi was last seen on November 6. Further details of the murder will be determined only after a forensic analysis and an autopsy. According to the police, Jayachandran and Vijayalakshmi were in touch over the phone. Vijayalakshmi's phone was recovered from a KSRTC bus in Ernakulam.

During interrogation, Jayachandran allegedly confessed to killing Vijayalakshmi. He revealed that he had been influenced by the movie Drishyam, which he had watched multiple times. 

Preliminary findings suggest that Vijayalakshmi, who was estranged from her husband and living in Karunagappally with her two children, had been in contact with Jayachandran. Four days ago, Jayachandran reportedly asked her to visit Ambalappuzha. The two visited a temple before going to his house. A dispute reportedly arose between them over a phone call Vijayalakshmi received.

Jayachandran allegedly struck Vijayalakshmi on the head with a plier, resulting in her death, and later buried her body in the nearby plot.

Local residents reported that Jayachandran, a boat worker, moved to the Karoor area with his family about a year and a half ago. He lives with his wife and son. The police had taken him into custody on Saturday. Adding to the suspicions, the police found charred remains of clothing at an under-construction house near Jayachandran’s residence. Residents stated that Jayachandran did not have close friendships within the community.