Alappuzha: “It all happened right before my eyes,” Mishma recalled, witnessing her father abusing her mother, Saji, which later led to her mother’s death.

Standing outside the mortuary at Alappuzha Medical College Hospital, Mishma recalled that horrific day with remarkable composure. “Quarrels were common whenever my mother confronted my father about his illicit relationship. But that day was different. My father hurled abuses at her and then turned violent. In a fit of rage, he grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly slammed her head against the wall. She collapsed.

“I ran out to call our relatives who lived nearby. When they arrived, my father convinced them to leave, claiming there was no issue at all. When I went back inside, my mother was lying in the same spot. Blood was oozing from her nose and mouth..."

Inside, her mother Saji’s post-mortem was underway. What was initially believed to be an accidental death took a dramatic turn when Saji’s body was exhumed for a fresh post-mortem following a complaint by her daughter, Mishma P Ulahannan. Based on her statement, P Y Soni (48), husband of V C Saji (46) from Pandassalaparambil in Ward 29 of Cherthala Municipality, was taken into police custody on the fourth day after her death.

“My mother was a nurse in Qatar. She returned home two years ago. During her time abroad, my father was involved in extramarital affairs. Whenever she confronted him, he harassed her mentally and physically. But she endured it all for the sake of the family,” Mishma said.

On January 8, the day of the tragic incident, Soni came home in an inebriated state and picked up a fight with Saji over his illicit relationships. “When he assaulted her, I called the police control room. But when they called back, I was busy gathering my relatives and rushing her to the hospital, so I missed their call. When they called again, I lied, saying my mother had fallen down the stairs. I was scared of my father and hoped that my mother would recover and life would go back to normal,” Mishma recalled.

Although Saji’s condition initially improved after emergency surgery, she soon developed a fever and suffered cardiac arrest. Her life hung by a thread, sustained only by ventilator support. During this period, she remained mostly unconscious and never spoke again.

“My father stayed by her bedside the entire month, taking care of her,” Mishma continued. “During that time, I received a voice message from him, confessing to his extramarital affair. I had already decided to file a complaint against him once my mother recovered. But she left this world on Sunday, shattering all my hopes.”

On Tuesday night, just two days after her mother’s death, Soni threatened Mishma too, saying she would meet the same fate if she stood against him. “That’s when I decided to go to the police the very next day,” Mishma said.