Man's death in Kollam: Police suspect more involved; wife's male friend under watch

KOLLAM: The investigation into the death of a man who collapsed at his house in Kollam has widened after it was confirmed to be a murder. The deceased was Raju (56) of Rajumandiram at Vlaveth, Vellimon. His wife, Lekha Mary (48), has been arrested in connection with the case. Police suspect that she could not have committed the murder alone. Her male friend is also under surveillance, and police said he would be questioned again.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed that the death was caused by severe strangulation of the neck. Subsequently, Lekha Mary was taken into custody. During interrogation, Lekha Mary confessed that she committed the murder by tightening a belt around his neck to suffocate him. This led to her arrest.

At around 5.30 am last Friday, Lekha Mary and her relatives took Raju to a private hospital in Kundara, claiming that he had collapsed at home. He was already dead by the time they reached the hospital. Following information from hospital authorities, Kundara police conducted a preliminary examination and noticed marks on Raju's neck. A case of unnatural death was registered based on a relative's statement.

Lekha Mary told police that Raju frequently quarrelled with her and assaulted her. She also said that she had recently asked him to transfer a family property he had received into her name, but he refused. According to her statement, the dispute over the property led to the murder. Lekha Mary is currently in judicial custody.