Kochi: The special investigation team probing the murder of a 61-year-old woman in Oonnukal has found that the victim, Shanthamma, was killed in a premeditated plot by the accused Rajesh (39) to steal her gold ornaments.

According to investigators, Rajesh, who knew that Shanthamma was not closely connected with her family, intended to exploit her isolation, believing her disappearance would go unnoticed for some time.

Rajesh, who was arrested by the police from Ernakulam’s Marine Drive on Wednesday night, is currently under judicial custody. The SIT will file a plea at the Muvattupuzha court seeking his custody for detailed interrogation.

Police sources confirmed that Rajesh has confessed to the crime. Both the accused and the victim were from Adimali, Idukki. They had first met on a bus, and Rajesh gradually earned her trust before entering into a relationship with her. He noticed that Shanthamma frequently wore gold ornaments and allegedly planned to rob her to clear his debts. When he realised she would not willingly part with her ornaments, he plotted her murder.

“On August 18, the day of the crime, he convinced her to travel with him. Rajesh lured the woman to an unoccupied house, where he killed her by hitting her on the head with a hammer and dumped her body in a waste pit. Rajesh, who worked at a hotel near the house where the body was found, was familiar with the area and knew the house was usually empty,” police sources said.

The police have already recovered a hammer and other weapons from Rajesh’s house in Neriamangalam. “Post-mortem confirmed that the cause of death was head injuries. We are in the process of confirming whether Rajesh used the same hammer or another weapon,” the police added.

Shanthamma’s body was found on Friday in a decomposed state. The police noted injuries that suggested her ornaments had been forcibly removed. Investigators linked Rajesh to the crime after discovering he had recently cleared several debts. “We believe the nine sovereigns of gold stolen from the victim were sold to finance these payments. Once he is in custody we can recover the gold,” police said.