Thiruvananthapuram: Akhil, the prime accused in the murder of a 30-year-old woman at Amboori near here, and his brother Rahul, who is the second accused, wanted to commit suicide by consuming poison after the gruesome murder, the police said.
It is learnt that Akhil has given a statement in this regard to the police, who have recovered a bottle containing poison.
Rakhi Mol, who had a relationship with Akhil, was allegedly murdered by the brothers last month. Later, Rahul reportedly offered to own up the crime to protect Akhil's job in the Indian Army.
The police version is that Akhil and Rahul decided to do away with Rakhi on June 18. Their friend Adarsh was also informed of the plan. They dug up a pit near their newly-built home to bury Rakhi on June 19. On the night of June 21, they brought the woman to the spot and strangled her to death.
Initially, they had planned to dump the body in the reservoir of a dam or some other water body. Later, they considered abandoning it somewhere in Tamil Nadu but dropped the idea as clearing the check-posts on the state borders would be risky.
After the incident, Akhil told his family that he was returning to his workplace. When Akhil left, Rahul suffered stress. As a result, he was sleepless as well as lost interest in food. When relatives enquired, Rahul replied that he was unwell. Their father informed Akhil of the matter and he reached Amboori on July 20. As per the statement given by Akhil, their parents were not aware of this visit. He and Rahul thought about suicide then, said Akhil.
However, the plan to kill themselves was abandoned and he again went back to his workplace, according to Akhil. The police, however, refused to buy this story. The statement has been recorded on video.
The police are now checking whether Akhil had reached his native place again to shift the body from the pit. They are also examining whether the parents of the brothers were aware of the crime. "No such evidence has come up so far," said Circle Inspector Poovar Rajeev.
Akhil and Rakhi had earlier secretly tied the knot at a temple in Ernakulam on February 15. When another alliance was fixed for him, Akhil tried to split from Rakhi. However, when Rakhi refused to end their relationship, Akhil decided to kill her.
Both had come into contact through a missed call and established a relationship six years ago. Rakhi, however, was adamant on living with Akhil and as their relationship soured, the soldier turned a killer. They got estranged after Akhil's family fixed another alliance for him from Anthiyoorkonam in Thiruvananthapuram district itself.
Both were involved in frequent spats over Akhil's new matrimonial alliance. Irked over this, Rakhi tried to foil that proposal in several ways. She even met the woman Akhil was about to marry and requested her to withdraw from the alliance. She had also threatened Akhil, finally forcing him to do away with her.
Rakhi's body was found buried in the backyard of a rubber plantation near Akhil's under-construction house at Amboori, near Poovar, on Wednesday. Her body was in advanced stage of decomposition when it was dug out.
Akhil, who was arrested from Thiruvananthapuram airport on Saturday, had confessed to the crime soon after his surrender on returning from North India. Akhil admitted that he used his bare hands and car seat belt to strangulate Rakhi on June 21.
