Varkala: Sarasamma, the long time maid of Leenamani, said that the latter was brutally murdered by her brothers-in-law at Varkala on Sunday using an iron rod.
The police arrested one of the accused in the Varkala muder case Raheena on Monday. The police are on the lookout for the other accused.
Leenamani (56), a resident of Kalathara near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram, was beaten to death allegedly after a property dispute with relatives on Sunday. According to her relatives, she was assaulted by her husband's brothers after a quarrel over a family property. The assailants fled soon after the crime.
According to Sarasamma, Leenamani's husband's brothers attacked her with an iron rod after gagging her. On Sunday morning, Leenamani's brothers-in-law Ahad, Muhsin and Shaji arrived at the house and attacked her. Ahad's wife Raheena was also at home when the attack took place.
Leenamani was getting ready for a wedding when the attack took place. She bled profusely as her leg was seriously injured. Sarasamma was also beaten up when she tried to stop them.
"They stuffed a cloth inside her mouth to muffle her screams. The doors were closed to prevent the screams from escaping outside," Sarasamma said.
After the assailants escaped, both Leenamani and Sarasamma were taken to a private hospital in Varkala by local residents. Sarasamma's injuries are not serious.
The police also confirmed that Leenamani's body had scars from being attacked with an iron rod and her leg was seriously injured.
Leenamani's husband Ziyad (Shine) died a year and a half ago. On her husband's death, her brothers laid a claim over her property. The complaint is that two months ago, one of Ziyad's brothers, Ahad and his family shifted to Leenamani's house. A complaint was lodged at the police station following this and a case on the same is pending before court.
On the basis of a complaint filed by Leenamani, cops from Ayiroor police station visited the house with a protection order from the court. It is believed that this provoked the accused to attack Leenamani.
