'Threatened to kill me'; woman suspects younger brother's role in Idukki double homicide

As the Idukki police investigate the involvement of a 43-year-old man in the alleged murder of his brother and mother in Nedumkandam, Idukki, his sister Sini has raised suspicions that he may have committed the crime.

Saji, of Ponnuttayil house in Pachadi, Nedumkandam, is under suspicion after two bodies were recovered from his house, following reports that his mother and brother were missing. It is suspected that the bodies belong to Saji’s brother, Reji (48), and mother, Marykutty (70).

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Sini said that Saji would often quarrel with his brother after getting drunk. “They would fight after drinking. But it was Saji who mostly drank and caused a ruckus,” Sini said. 

According to Sini, while Reji took care of their mother, Saji would frequently come home after drinking and fight with Marykutty.

When asked about the possibility that the crime was premeditated, Sini said she suspects Saji is behind the incident. “They say he had stitches on the back of his head and that his hand was broken. So it is likely he got into a fight, which may have led to the murder,” she said.

Sini also alleged that Saji had issued death threats against her and barred her from entering their home. “I had slapped him when he tried to hit our mother. After that incident, he said he would kill me if I set foot in the house,” she said. She said that she had not visited the house for a year after that incident.

Sini filed the complaint with the police on April 21, almost a month after the two went missing. According to Inspector K J Thomas, Saji has been absconding since Sunday evening, and his phone remains switched off.

The police said that they are also investigating the possibility of Saji's involvement in the disappearance of Marykutty’s husband, Mathew, in 2018.