Kannur: The death of A K Sreelekha (68), niece of Forest Minister A K Saseendran, and her husband Premarajan (75) on Thursday has been confirmed as a case of murder-suicide. The autopsy revealed that Sreelekha suffered five deep blows to the forehead, likely inflicted with a hammer recovered from the bedroom, said Kannur City Police Commissioner P Nidhin Raj on Friday. But she was alive when she was set on fire, according to the autopsy report, he said.

Police suspect Premarajan killed his wife before immolating himself. A forensic team and fingerprint experts had examined the house. Police have found no evidence of forced entry. The door was locked from the inside.

Neighbours and their driver, Sarosh, found the charred bodies of Sreelekha and Premarajan in their house at Alavil in Kannur's Chirakkal grama panchayat on Thursday evening. The couple was found dead on the day their younger son, Shibin, was due to arrive from Bahrain. Their elder son, Prabith, lives in Australia.

The police commissioner said Premarajan was battling multiple age-related ailments for a prolonged period. He may have taken the extreme step, driven by despair over his chronic health conditions, police said.

K P Rajesh, the family’s neighbour who once worked in their fields, said Premarajan had been unwell. "Recently, when my mother died, he called to say he couldn’t come because he was unable to walk," Rajesh recalled. "He was mild-natured, which is why it is hard to believe he killed his wife and then took his own life," he said.

Sarosh, the couple's driver, was also baffled by the murder-suicide. "He (Premarajan) sounded happy when they asked me to come and take their car to pick Shibin from the airport," he said. When he reached their house around 5.45 pm on Thursday, the doors were locked from inside and no one responded.

Police have not said whether a suicide note was recovered. Commissioner Nidhin Raj said the investigation is still ongoing. Sarosh said the couple’s elder son, Prabith, has arrived at Kozhikode airport from Australia and is expected to reach home by around 10 pm. The cremation will be held at Payyambalam beach at 11 am on Saturday.