Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, the teenager said nothing had happened 15 years ago, as the police claimed, and the allegations brought shame to their family.
Kerala police arrest three accused. (Supplied)
A day after police confirmed the killing of Kala alias Sreekala, who had been missing for 15 years, three individuals—Jinu, Pramod, and Somarajan— have been arrested in Mannar, Alappuzha.
According to the FIR, Kala’s husband Anil, the primary accused, allegedly murdered her due to suspicions of an extramarital affair.
The FIR further states that Kala was killed at Perumpuzha Bridge in 2009, and her body was later dumped in a septic tank. The accused shifted her body using a Maruti car. The three accused will be produced before the Chenganoor Court.
The missing incident, which had gone cold, took a surprise turn, revealing a gruesome tale of murder, following a tip-off to the police.
Meanwhile, the deceased woman’s teenage son on Wednesday, 3 July, rejected their findings and asserted that she is still alive.
He also dismissed allegations against his father, who is suspected to be the prime suspect in his mother Kala’s murder.
Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, the teenager said nothing had happened 15 years ago, as the police claimed, and the allegations brought shame to their family.
“No incident has happened like this. I am sure that my mother is alive….I am her son. I am not tensed,” he said.
He said his mother had never contacted him after she had disappeared from the house years ago.
He also said that the police didn’t get any indications about the murder.
When reporters asked the teenager whether he contacted his father, the prime accused in the case, he said his father told him not to worry about the developments.
“My father told me not to get tensed over the present issues,” he said, adding that his father will not return to the country now as he has some debt and needs to continue his stay abroad.
Meanwhile, Soman, a labourer who had helped the police collect vital evidence from the septic tank on Tuesday, raised suspicion that some chemical substance was poured into the tank.
“I have been doing septic tank-related jobs for years. So, I can feel it when I get down into the tank if any chemicals are poured inside it. Here, some chemical, which can even powder stones and human bones, was poured,” he told a TV channel.
He said things suspected to be parts of human bones— a locket, a hair clip used by women and an elastic of dress— were found inside the septic tank during his search, and they were handed over to the police for further examination.
Anil Kumar, the woman’s brother, who is an auto driver, said the present revelations were shocking and that he had never felt any doubt in the behaviour of the accused so far.
“If they had committed anything wrong, they should get the deserved punishment,” he said.
Five people were already in police custody in connection with the case, and their arrests would be recorded soon, police had said.
On Tuesday, 2 July, police said that Kala, who disappeared 15 years ago, in 2009, at the age of 20 from her husband’s and parents’ homes in Alappuzha, has been confirmed to be dead.
The Ambalappuzha Police received an anonymous letter over two months ago, disclosing shocking details about the disappearance of Kala.
According to the letter, Kala was allegedly murdered inside a car and her body dumped in a septic tank at her residence in Mannar. The investigation gained further momentum after the letter tipped off authorities about the murder, allegedly committed by Kala’s husband Anil and his friends.
Confirming a breakthrough in the long-standing mystery, Alappuzha SP Chaitra Teresa John has confirmed that the case has now been classified as a murder investigation.
“We have received credible evidence and have registered an FIR,” SP Chaitra Teresa John stated.
The confirmation came after the police carried out a several hours-long search and evidence collection by opening up the two septic tanks in the missing woman’s husband’s home.
Alappuzha SP Chaitra Teresa John had said a case had been lodged, and police presently suspect the involvement of the woman’s husband, who is in Israel. Efforts are currently underway to facilitate his return from Israel.
The anonymous letter further alleged that one of Anil’s friends had threatened his wife, ominously saying, “I will kill you like her,” hinting at a potential cover-up.
The septic tank, still intact since the original house was demolished and rebuilt, is now being excavated by police. Locals had raised suspicions about the intact bathroom and septic tank in the new house.
According to SP Chaitra Teresa John, preliminary findings suggest that personal issues may have been the motive behind Kala’s disappearance and alleged murder.
Local accounts suggest that Anil’s family disapproved of Kala, whom he had married against their wishes. The couple had a son together.
The murder allegedly came to light when a participant in a drinking party revealed the secret, prompting the anonymous tip-off.
According to the local accounts, Anil convinced Kala to go on a trip. They were joined by four others.
They stopped at a toddy shop in Kuttanad, where they paused before resuming their travel. It was after leaving the toddy shop that Kala was allegedly murdered.
(With PTI inputs)
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