Suspicion of infidelity: 26-yr-old smothers wife to death in Palakkad

Palakkad: A 26-year-old man was arrested for murdering his wife at Kattukulam in Ottappalam after allegedly suspecting her of infidelity. The Sreekrishnapuram police on Saturday took Deekshith into custody and charged him with murder after he confessed to smothering his wife, Vaishnavi, 26, with a piece of cloth.

The incident took place around 12.30 am on Friday at the couple’s house, where they were living alone. According to the police, Deekshith contacted Vaishnavi’s parents in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, and told them that she had suddenly fallen unconscious. Her parents rushed to the house and took her to Kerala Medical College, Mangode, where doctors declared her dead on arrival around 1.30 am.

“During subsequent interrogation, Deekshith admitted that he smothered her, reportedly using a bedsheet. However, this is yet to be confirmed,” said ASI Muhammed Jamshad K of the Sreekrishnapuram police. He added that Deekshith waited for Vaishnavi’s parents to arrive as he had no vehicle of his own.

The couple had married two years ago after a love affair, with the consent of both families. Vaishnavi, an Ayurvedic nurse, had not been going to work for the past two months. Deekshith worked in the insurance division of a private bank. His father is employed in the UAE, while his mother lives with his sister in Kodagu, Karnataka.

“Vaishnavi’s body bore minor marks suggesting a brief altercation, but no major injuries were found,” the officer said. "Neighbours said that they did not hear any commotion from the house that night," he added.

Vaishnavi’s post-mortem was conducted at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital on Friday, after which her body was taken to her home in Perinthalmanna for the funeral.

The police said they have not received any prior complaints from either family and are continuing the investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the murder. Deekshith has been remanded to judicial custody.

“It was just before Vaishnavi’s wedding, another tragedy struck her family,” says Vinod, a close friend of her father, Unnikrishnan. “Her elder brother, Vignesh, died in an accident while he was on his two-wheeler, on his way to deliver a wedding invitation. A truck rammed into his bike.”

"The family also struggles financially. Her father, Unnikrishnan, earns a living through daily-wage work, while her elder sister, Unnimaya, lives with her husband in Malappuram," Vinod adds.