Man arrested for killing wife in TVM

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vilappilsala police on Monday arrested a man for murdering his wife following marital dispute in Peyad. The accused, Ratheesh (41), attacked his wife, Divya (28), at their residence late on Sunday night, leading to her death. 

Police said Ratheesh called a friend and confessed to the crime, who, in turn, alerted the station. Officers reached the house and took Ratheesh into custody. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. "The accused will be questioned and produced before a court for remand," a police officer said.

Peyad ward member Biju Das said that when he and the police entered the house, an iron rod was found placed on a table. "Hence, it is suspected that this may have been used to kill her, as there were injury marks on her body. However, this can be confirmed only after the autopsy," he said. He added that Divya was previously married and had two children, one in Class 4 and the other in Class 2.

"There are several cases against Ratheesh for physically assaulting Divya's children and for assaulting Divya. When things worsened, the police and relatives intervened and sent the children to live with their biological father," he said. "Divya and Ratheesh were separated for some time, and the police had advised her not to return to him," he added.

After completing the inquest procedures, Divya's body was shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.