Alappuzha: The Additional District Sessions Court here on Saturday awarded the death penalty to Rajani (38), the second accused in the murder of Haripad native Anitha Sasidharan. Rajani, who was lodged in an Odisha jail in connection with a drug case, was brought to the Alappuzha court for the trial.

On November 24, the court had sentenced the first accused, Prabeesh (37) of Malappuram, to death after finding him guilty.

According to the prosecution, Prabeesh murdered 32-year-old Anitha, a native of Punnapra in Alappuzha, with the help of his friend Rajani on July 9, 2021. Anitha, who was married and the mother of two children, was pregnant at the time.

The investigation began after an unidentified woman’s body was recovered from the backwaters near Pallathuruthy. Police later found that Anitha was strangled after being lured to Rajani’s house in Kainakari. When she fell unconscious, the accused dumped her body in the backwaters.

While the autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death, injuries to the throat and damage to the thyroid gland raised suspicion among doctors, prompting police to investigate the murder angle.

The prosecution said the testimony of Rajani’s mother was crucial in securing the conviction.

The investigating officer told the media that the probe was thorough and left “no loopholes for the defence.”