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An anonymous letter cracks a 15-year-old murder in Kerala; village thought victim had eloped with her lover
24htopnews | July 4, 2024 1:03 AM CST

The arrest of Jinu Gopalan, R Somarajan and Pramod, all natives of Thripperumthura village, were made after police opened the septic chamber at Kumar’s house to collect evidence to corroborate the statements of the accused that Kala’s body had been dumped there.Alappuzha Superintendent of Police Chaitra Teresa John told the media that Kala had gone missing in 2008-09. “We have confirmed that she was killed. Personal issues led to the murder. It was suspected that she had a relationship with another person. We have collected evidence from the septic tank, which will be sent for forensic examination. Since 15 years have elapsed, it is a big challenge for the police,” she said.The SP said that though Kala had been missing, nobody filed a missing person complaint. “The case emerged after Ambalapuzha police looked into an anonymous letter that dropped hints about the murder. It was credible information but we don’t want to reveal more about that letter at this stage,” she said.The police said Kumar and the three arrested accused, who are his relatives, took Kala in a car and killed her near Valiya Perumbuzha bridge.The two got married in 2007, but their families were unhappy since they came from different castes, officials said. Months after the wedding, Anil, a mason, went to Africa for work. Back home, Kala lived with her in-laws. Police are yet to ascertain the day or month when she went missing. At the time, she was the mother of a toddler, now a 16-year-old boy. Kumar, meanwhile, married another woman. Kumar’s father Thankachan told the media on Wednesday, “There was no issue between the two. She had gone with someone and might be living somewhere. She left their son with me.”Local panchayat member Nisha Sojan said the entire village is in shock. “Everybody believed Kala was living with another man. When she went missing, her family was not interested to file a missing complaint since they were upset with her marriage to Kumar. For the village, she was a woman who abandoned a child,” she said.


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