Kumily: The accused in the Salu murder case, Salil, confessed to the police that he hacked the victim on the neck and legs with a knife before throwing her into the canal. The accused had earlier confessed that he had strangulated Salu with a scarf.
Salil made these revelations when he was brought to collect evidence from the murder site in Irachipalam canal near Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The police have recovered a knife, suspected to be the murder weapon, from Salil's house in Upputhara. Salu, wife of Babu from Adimali, was murdered on November 4 and her body was later found in a canal in Tamil Nadu.
After examining Salu's body, which was found lying naked in the canal that carries water from Mullaperiyar Dam to Tamil Nadu, the police had dismissed Salil's claims that he had strangled Salu. On further questioning, Salil changed his confession to hacking the victim to death.
Salil took help of curses, black magic
On November 4 night, the accused and the victim reached Irachipalam bridge by car from the lodge at Uttamapalaiyam in Theni where they were staying together. Salil brought Salu to Irachipalam on the pretext of doing some rituals to cast off curses from haunting her.
After ensuring that the spot was deserted, the duo made their way to the bridge railing and Salil first performed the ritual and then asked Salu to repeat it. Salil hacked Salu on the neck when she was peforming the ritual. Salil also admitted that he hacked Salu’s legs to make sure that she will not escape.
He returned to the lodge after ensuring that the current took Salu’s body along with it. While searching for Salu's body, the police officials had to close the spillway shutters of the dam. They spotted the body in a decomposed state on a rock.
Salu at the time of murder was wearing only a night dress and police believe it to be the reason why the body was found naked. Though the accused had admitted that he committed the murder alone, the police are not ready to believe him.
The accused was brought to his house in Upputhara from Adimali for collecting evidence. He was then taken to Irachipalam. The evidence was collected by police team headed by Adimali circle inspector T.U. Yunus and sub inspectors Ulhannan, and Saji N. Paul.
