Santhamma, 67, mother of Ranjini, who was killed along with her babies at Aeram in Anchal in 2006, had lived with grief, anger and a haunting sense of loss all these years. On Friday, she was at a temple in Kollam when she received a call from a police official who had once led the murder investigation. When she was told that they finally got Divil Kumar and Rajesh, the accused in the Anchal triple murder case, after a 19-year-long manhunt, she was overcome with relief and sadness.

The call brought back the horrors of a day in February 2006 for Santhamma. Returning home one day, she found her daughter, Ranjini, and her 17-day-old twin granddaughters brutally murdered. Ranjini was in a relationship with Divil Kumar. She was already six months pregnant when she and her family discovered she was expecting. However, Santhamma firmly denied claims of a relationship between Ranjini and Divil, alleging that it was a case of sexual assault.

“Despite financial struggles and suggestions from the doctor to consider abortion, she was resolute about keeping her babies. She was determined to raise them on her own, and I stood by her decision,” Santhamma said, her voice trembling with emotion. She does odd jobs in a temple to make a living. Ranjini fought against societal pressures, filed a complaint with the Women’s Commission and requested a DNA test to establish paternity. Ranjini had planned to name her daughters Anangha and Akshaya. The mother and babies were murdered before the naming ceremony could take place. Ranjini was a fighter, just like her mother. She was determined to raise her daughters alone.

After Ranjini gave birth, Rajesh, one of the accused, befriended the new mother and Santhamma at SAT Hospital, introducing himself as Anil Kumar. Rajesh then dropped them off at Aeram after the delivery. He visited them regularly. “In his very first interaction, he asked if we needed blood, pretending to be helpful. Little did Ranjini know he would become her murderer,” Santhamma recounted. Rajesh intruded into their lives, frequently visiting their home and even asking Ranjini to abandon her mother and leave with him. She said that they had often tried to avoid him, but he was insistent.

On the day of the murder, Santhamma had left to collect a certificate for the babies from the Panchayat. When Santhamma was getting ready to go, Rajesh was at the house and overheard the conversation. He left abruptly, claiming he had somewhere to be. When Santhamma returned home, she saw the lifeless bodies of Ranjini and the babies.

Throughout the investigation, Santhamma faced relentless attacks on her character. “People spread lies about me and my daughter, accusing me of being mentally unstable. But I wasn’t deterred. I had one goal: to secure justice for my daughter and bring the culprits to justice,” she said. “I hope the law ensures they receive the maximum punishment. They should never see the outside world again,” she added.

Divil Kumar (42) had changed his name to Vishnu, and Rajesh (47) had assumed the identity of Praveen Kumar. They got married to two school teachers, purchased properties, and were working as interior designers when the CBI arrested them on Friday from Puducherry, ending years of double lives.