Chottanikkara temple murder: Sister says ‘inner voice’ prompted her to kill twin

CHOTTANIKKARA: The twin sister of a 45-year-old woman who was found murdered near the Chottanikkara Devi Temple has told the police that an ‘inner voice’ prompted her to commit the crime.

Sajitha told the police that she killed her sister, Sabitha, by banging her head against a wall and pouring water on her face to suffocate her.

Sabitha, a native of Kannur, was staying at the guest house near the temple with her twin sister and brother Sudheer Kumar (53). His statement to the police has also raised questions. He claimed that he was asleep and did not know about the quarrel between the two sisters.

The three had arrived at Chottanikkara on October 29 to observe bhajan as part of Sabitha's treatment.

At around 7.45 am on Wednesday, Sudheer Kumar went to the guest house office and reported that Sabitha had been found unconscious. The Chottanikkara police were informed, and she was rushed to the Tripunithura Taluk Hospital, where her death was confirmed at 9.45 am.

Sudheer Kumar was arrested for allegedly concealing the murder and cleaning the room after the incident. He is currently under preventive detention.

Both Sajitha and Sabitha had been undergoing treatment for mental health issues. The police suspect that Sudheer Kumar may also have similar issues.

The body was handed over to the relatives after a post-mortem examination at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital.

The three are children of the late Kuruva Kunjikannan and Thempari Nalini of Kanjirrod, Kannur. They have three other siblings.

No CCTV cameras at guest house

The guest house where the murder took place does not have even a single CCTV camera. There is also no proper maintenance or security at the facility, and the Devaswom authorities have reportedly paid little attention to its upkeep. Nearly half of the 45 rooms in the guest house remain locked.