Kottayam: The murder of Jooby, the complainant in the partner-swapping case shocked Kerala on Friday.
The 26-year-old woman was hacked to death at her residence in Malam on May 19. Her two sons found her in the courtyard of their house when they returned home after playing with friends outside.
Jooby's elder son Sachin narrated to Manorama the shocking experience of the moment that he found his dead mother.
“We were playing, making ant nests. When I reached home, I saw my mother lying in a pool of blood. I ran to the next house crying out 'someone had killed my mother',” Sachin (Appu), a standard IV student, told Manorama. Appu's words brought tears to onlookers and those who heard them.
It was Appu and his younger sibling Stevin (Adhi) who saw their mother Jooby’s body first. They were playing outside the house when the incident took place.
At the first instnace, Appu and his brother ran to the house of their neighbour Kuruvilla. The neighbour called the police immediately. Panchayat member Radha Suresh and block panchayat member Biju Thomas reached the place soon after.
The sight of Appu, who had realised that his mother had been brutally murdered, sitting with his head bent, broke the hearts of the people who witnessed it. Adhi, too small to understand what had happened, played with his friends for some time.
According to the police, Jooby was hacked to death when her brother and father were out at work. Police suspect the killer might have picked a time when Jooby was alone at home and the children were playing with friends.
Though the police have not named any person responsible for the murder yet, the woman's father alleged that his daughter was killed by her husband.
Partner-swapping case
The controversial case made headlines in January 2022 after Jooby lodged a complaint at the Karukachal police station.
The probe found almost 5,000 couples active on various social media platforms that reportedly promoted partner swapping. Back then, the police arrested six people soon after initiating a probe. The wife-swapping gang had been active since 2018.
After receiving the complaint, the police formed various teams to nab the accused and intensified the hunt with the help of the cyber cell.
Finally, the accused were arrested from Thumboli beach area and Punnapra from Alappuzha district, Kaloor in Ernakulam district and Kooroppada and Aymenem in Kottayam district.
The 26-year-old woman had approached the Karukachal police station after continuous intimidation from her husband. It was two years ago that she was made to join a partner-swapping group on social media by her husband.
The 32-year-old husband used the group for making money and having sex with other women. But when his torture crossed all limits, she finally sought the police help.
According to the police, nine people were involved in violating the woman. Six of the accused were arrested. Out of the three remaining accused, a person from Kollam has left the country. Among the nine, five arrived as couples with their wives. Four were single. These individuals referred to as 'studs' used to pay Rs 14,000 to the group, police said.
