A 58-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 79-year-old woman and the theft of her gold ornaments from her house in broad daylight at Karalam in Thrissur district.

The arrested man has been identified as Muhammad Rafi, 58, a native of Thriprayar and a neighbour of the deceased, Savithri, wife of Vijayan of Arumpilly, near the Karalam veterinary hospital.

Rafi was reportedly staying in a rented house belonging to Savithri’s son.

According to the police, Rafi was facing financial liabilities and had previously asked Savithri to give him her gold ornaments. Investigators suspect that he murdered her after she refused to hand them over.

On the day of the incident, Rafi allegedly noticed Savithri’s son Sumesh and his wife Greeshma taking her husband, Vijayan, to the hospital. Seizing the opportunity, he entered the house with the intention of stealing the ornaments, police said.

Savithri was sitting on a sofa in the hall when the accused allegedly strangled her by tightening the saree she was wearing around her neck. He then dragged her into the bedroom. To ensure that she was dead, he allegedly pressed a pillow against her face.

The accused subsequently took chilli powder from the kitchen and scattered it near the body before stealing the gold ornaments and fleeing the scene, according to the police investigation.

Savithri’s grandchild discovered her body inside the house after returning from school in the evening.

The gold bangles, chain and ring she had been wearing were missing. Around 16 sovereigns of gold, equivalent to approximately 128 grams, were reportedly stolen. Marks of physical assault were also found on her neck and hands.

Considering the seriousness of the crime, a 25-member special investigation team was formed under the leadership of Thrissur Rural District Police Chief Mohammed Nadeem, IPS. The team included the Irinjalakuda Deputy Superintendent of Police and inspectors from the Kattur, Irinjalakuda and Anthikad police stations.

A police dog squad, fingerprint experts and forensic personnel also examined the crime scene. The police intensified the investigation by examining CCTV footage from the area and analysing mobile tower location data, which eventually led to the arrest of the accused.

After the postmortem examination at Thrissur Medical College, Savithri’s body was brought home on Wednesday afternoon and cremated.