Thuvvur (Malappuram): This village in Kerala's Malappuram district is coming to terms with the murder of a young woman by her acquaintance and the subsequent brazen efforts of the murderer to baffle the police.
The body of Sujitha, who had gone missing on August 11, was found tucked inside a human-size plastic cover with her hands and legs bound. The body had begun to decompose when it was found on Monday night by Karuvarakundu police on the property of a local social activist named Vishnu.
The accused in the case planned to construct a bathroom at the spot where the body was buried along the lines of the tactics shown in the hit film 'Drishyam'. As part of this plan, hollow bricks, M-Sand and gravel were brought and dumped over the site.
The waste dump behind the house was deepened at night and the body was placed in it before filling it with mud.
SP's statement
Sujith Das, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malappuram district, said Vishnu was confident that he would not be caught. It was he who had circulated messages about Sujitha’s disappearance on social media.
There was a plan to take out a march to the police station in two days. Large-scale publicity was also mounted on social media about it, the SP added.
The SP also stated that Vishnu, who was taken into custody at first and his brothers, Visakh and Vivek, had committed the murder along with their friend, Shahid.
Vishnu's father too had knowledge of the murder.
The preliminary conclusion is that they had committed the murder to get hold of Sujitha’s gold jewellery. However, a detailed investigation would be required to find out other reasons, if any, for the murder, the SP said.
He further said that there was a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the younger brother of Vishnu at the Pandikkad police station. No other serious cases had come to the notice of the police.
The fateful day
Details about the murder were revealed after Vishnu was taken into custody and interrogated.
Sujitha and Vishnu were working in the same building and both knew each other. Sujitha had reported for duty at her office on August 11, the day when she was reported missing. She had left the office stating that she was going to the Primary Health Centre.
From there, Sujitha reached Vishnu's house. The police are investigating why Sujitha visited Vishnu's house and how she reached the place.
The accused persons, except Vishnu, waited outside the house as Sujitha arrived. When Sujitha was speaking with Vishnu, they attacked her and attempted to strangle her. After she fell unconscious, a piece of rope was looped around Sujitha’s neck and she was dragged through the window.
Following this, the body was hidden under the cot and jewels were removed from the body. The money received from the sale of the jewels was shared by all of them.
Police suspect a detailed conspiracy was hatched for the murder.
