Autorickshaw driver held for murder attempt on woman in Ettumanur

Auto rickshaw driver held for murder attempt on woman
Santhosh

Pala: An autorickshaw driver with criminal antecedents has been arrested for trying to kill a woman by hitting her on the head with an iron rod. Puttumadhathil Santosh from Kadappattoor, aged 61, is accused of attacking a 26-year-old woman in Ettumanur and leaving her for dead.

Santosh, who retired as a driver of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, has been riding an autorickshaw for a living. He used to give a ride to the woman who lived at Velliyeppalli along with her mother and sister.

The woman went to Arthunkal and some other places on Santosh’s autorickshaw on April 6. Santosh was supposed to meet her again the next day, but he hatched a plan to kill the woman, the police said.

The driver, who was previously accused in the murder of a KSEB employee, is married, with two daughters.

The motive for the attack is not known.

He borrowed a relative's car and drove to the woman’s house early on April 7. He called up the woman around 4.45 am and asked her to come out. When she did, he hit her with the iron rod he was carrying. When she scrambled for her life, he chased her and hit her multiple times. She left her for dead and stole her mobile phone, police stated.

He then left the car in a workshop in Pala and threw away the phone into the River Meenachil from atop the bridge in Pala. He then went on with his daily work. The police have recovered the phone and iron rod.

Santosh was taken into custody by a team of officers comprising Deputy Superintendent of Police Prafulla Chandran, station house officer Sunil Thomas, principal sub-inspector K S Shyam Kumar, sub-inspector Thomas Xavier, additional sub-inspector A T Shajimon, senor civil police officers K S Rajesh, Arun Chanth and Sherin Stephen.

Santosh’s victim is being treated in a hospital in Kottayam.

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