In a shocking development, three people were arrested in connection with the murder of 73-year-old Subhadra, an elderly woman from Kochi, on Friday. The arrested individuals were identified as Mathews, a resident of Kattoor in Mararikulam; his wife, Sharmila, from Udupi; and Reynold, 61, a relative of Mathews, who is not directly involved in the murder but played a role in the crime.
Mathews and Sharmila, the primary suspects, were taken into custody from Manipal. The couple had planned the murder as they were in dire need of money. Their original plan to kill Subhadra in her house at Kadavanthra failed two months ago, but they succeeded on their second attempt.
According to the police, Subhadra was brought to the house at Kalavoor on August 4, where the couple began administering a medication prescribed to Reynold’s son for depression. They drugged Subhadra over the course of three days, eventually robbing her of her jewellery. When Subhadra regained consciousness on August 7, she demanded her jewellery back and threatened to report the incident to the police.
In response, the couple violently pulled Subhadra from her bed between noon and 1 PM on the same day. They used a shawl to strangle her while stamping on her body to ensure her death. Once she was dead, they removed her jewellery, including earrings and nose rings. The couple kept her body in the house throughout the day and later enlisted the help of a mason, Ajayan, to dig a pit under the pretense of disposing of garbage.
The police have since launched a full investigation, with Mathews, Sharmila, and Reynold in custody. The authorities continue to gather more details about the case, and the community remains in shock over this brutal crime.