A suspected double murder in a quiet residential lane in central Kerala has triggered a police manhunt across districts, after the decomposed bodies of a 74-year-old woman and her 43-year-old daughter were discovered in their rented home in Thrissur's Padiyoor village, on Wednesday evening.
The victims have been identified as Mani, a native of Karalam Vellani, and her daughter Rekha. The deaths were discovered following complaints by neighbours who noticed a foul smell emanating from the house.
Locals alerted Mani's elder daughter, Sindhu, an employee at the Irinjalakuda Boys' School. Upon arrival, Sindhu gained access through the back entrance and found the house ransacked and both bodies lying in a state of decomposition. She immediately informed the police.
The police reached the scene and launched an investigation. Preliminary examination suggests that the women may have been strangled or suffocated. The exact cause of death will be determined following the post-mortem, which is being conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital.
The primary suspect is Rekha's husband, 48-year-old Premkumar, a native of Kottayam district. Premkumar, who married Rekha in her second marriage, has a prior criminal record, police said. He is currently out on bail in connection with the 2019 murder of his first wife, Vidya, in Udayamperoor. In that case, he was accused of murdering her and disposing of the body in a forested area.
The police confirmed that a handwritten note, believed to be from Premkumar and containing threats, was recovered from the crime scene. The contents of the note have not been made public, but police sources describe it as "hostile in tone."
Just days before her death, Rekha had filed a formal police complaint of domestic violence against Premkumar. Police had scheduled a counselling session for the couple for the upcoming Monday.
