Koodathayi murders: Third chargesheet filed; police chief terms the case as 'sophisticated'

Jolly Joseph allegedly killed Alphine (R) by feeding her cyanide laced bread.

Kozhikode: The third charge sheet in the sensational Koodathayi serial murder case was submitted to the Thamarassery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday. The charge sheet stated that Jolly Joseph, the prime accused in the murders, poisoned one-year-old Alphine to death on May 3, 2014.

Alphine is the daughter of Shaju and Sily. Jolly allegedly poisoned Sily to death in 2016. She later married Sily's husband Shaju.

Kozhikode Rural Superintendent of Police K G Simon said on Saturday that it was a sophisticated case. “It was solved by carefully analysing the statements of the witnesses,” he said.

Jolly's relative M S Mathew and a goldsmith Prajikumar are also accused in the cases as they reportedly provided her with the cyanide used to commit the murders.

Two charge sheets on the deaths of Roy and Sily have already been submitted.

What did Jolly do?

Jolly Joseph is accused of killing six members of her husband's family one after the other by giving them cyanide-laced food or drink over a period of 14 years at Koodathayi in Kozhikode district. The police have registered separate cases over each of the murder.

Those died under mysterious circumstances were: retired educational department officer Tom Thomas, 66; his wife and retired teacher Annamma Thomas, 57; son Roy Thomas, 40; Tom's brother's daughter-in-law Sily Shaju, 44; her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Alphine, and Annamma's brother Mathew Manjadiyil, 68.

They all fainted and died after having food served allegedly by Jolly.

Jolly was arrested in October for killing her husband Roy. During interrogation, she reportedly confessed to killing all the six.

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