Palakkad woman murdered, body stuffed inside gunny bag

Mathur, Palakkad: A 63-year-old woman was murdered and stuffed inside a gunny bag by three youths at a village in Palakkad district. The police found the body under the cot of one of the accused.

The police said that a robbery attempt led to the death of Omana, wife of late Sahadevan, a CPM worker, of Koodamthodi House, Chunkamandam, Koomankadu.

The three - Koomankadu native Shaiju (32), his relative Vijeesh (30), and their friend P Gireesh (34) - have been arrested for the murder . Stolen jewellery was recovered from the accused. Omana went missing on Saturday after she left for the field.

The missing woman

The body was found when the police were looking for the woman on a missing complaint.

Omana used to live with her daughter-in-law Rajitha who had gone to attend a house-warming function of a relative when the murder happened. Nobody answered a call by her son-in-law on the landline. When Omana's mobile phone number was dialled, a male voice said that she was at a wedding, police were informed.

Meanwhile, the police also got proof of Shaiju and Gireesh visiting a shop at Chundamandam junction to sell the jewellery.

Omana's umbrella was also found at the entrance of Shaiju's house following which the accused were taken into custody. Omana used to pass by the house of the accused on her way to the field. Shaiju, in his statement to the police, said that they had an argument with Omana. They hit her on her head and when she fell down, they brought the body into the house and stuffed it inside the gunny bag.

Palakkad — The murder of Omana has sent shock waves through Mathur.

Village under shock

The murder of Omana has sent shock waves through Mathur, with villagers wondering how people whom they meet on a daily basis can turn out to be killers. Omana was the wife of well-known CPM leader Sahadevan and people immediately started search operations when they came to know that she was missing. The accused had also joined them in their search.

Since Sunday morning, policemen were stationed in the area. Shaiju became a suspect when the umbrella used by Omana was found lying in front of his house. In their first search, the police couldn't find anything from his house. Following this, they conducted a detailed search and the body was found in the sack under the cot. Soon, the main accused Shaiju and Vijeesh were taken into custody.

Attempt to destroy proof

The soil on the top of a septic tank behind the house from where the body was found has been removed. The police believe that the accused could have attempted to dump the body in the septic tank. The field owned by Omana is half-a-kilometre from the house of the accused. She used to visit the field every morning and evening and the accused were aware of this.

It is suspected that the accused also knew about her daughter-in-law attending the house warming. Omana had visited a hospital on Saturday for a health check-up, after which she had left her house for the field. There are no houses after the one of the accused. The police said that the murder could have been carried out there. The police have also got hints that the accused had tried to dump the body in a pond.