Death of woman in Peerumedu not due to elephant attack; brutal murder, husband held 

IDUKKI: The police said the death of a woman in the forest near Peerumedu is a murder. The dead was Seetha (54), a tribal. Seetha's husband Binu said that she was attacked by the wild elephant when they went to collect forests produce. The postmortem report revealed that the death was a murder. Binu was later taken into custody.

The incident happened yesterday. Binu and his two children brought Seetha to Peerumedu Taluk Hospital in the vehicle of the forest department saying that she was attacked by the wild elephant in Peerumedu. By the time she was brought to the hospital, she was dead. An examination by the forest department could not find any signs of a wild elephant attack. The hospital authorities also expressed suspicion on her death. The postmortem conducted later revealed it as a murder.

There were no signs of a wild animal attack on Seetha's body. Some marks were seen on her face and neck. There were three fatal injuries on her head. The postmortem said the injuries on the right and left sides were caused by being held with force and hit on a surface such as a tree. The injury on the back of the head was caused by falling about four feet into a deep place and then hitting a surface such as a rock. There were signs of being pressed hard on the neck and suffocated. There were also beat marks on her face. The ribs were broken. There were signs of being held by the legs and dragged.

Binu told police and forest department officials that his children, aged 13 and 14, did not see the wild elephant attack. His statement was that the wild elephant attacked when she was walking in front. He had also said that the wild elephant came from behind and threw him. After questioning, he was taken into police custody. However, Binu is adamant and sticks to his statement that Seetha died in elephant attack.