Paranoia and drug addiction; Renuka stabbed to death by husband with scissors; search underway for Sanukuttan who fled into forest

KULATHUPUZHA: A woman was stabbed to death by her husband with scissors following a family dispute. Renuka (39), who lived near Murthikavu in Kulathupuzha, was killed. After the murder, her husband Sanukuttan swam across the nearby Kallada River and escaped into the forest. The police have started a search for him.

The incident took place around 12 noon. When Renuka returned from Kulathupuzha Community Health Center after getting medicine for a fever, Sanukuttan got into a fight with her. Sanukuttan asked her where she had gone. Sanukuttan then stabbed Renuka in the neck and stomach several times with scissors. Renuka's mother Mary was the only one at home at the time of the incident.

By the time Renuka's mother and neighbours rushed to the scene, Sanukuttan had already escaped. Renuka, who had sustained a deep neck wound, was immediately taken to the Kulathupuzha Government Hospital by the locals. After initial treatment, Renuka was taken to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital in an ambulance, but she died when they reached Madathara.

Relatives say that Sanukuttan is paranoiac and addicted to drugs. He is a casual labourer and rarely goes to work. There were often fights at home regarding this. The family was taken care of by Renuka, who was a home nurse.

A search is underway in the forest for the accused under the leadership of Sub-Inspectors Shahjahan Muhammed and Vinod Kumar and locals, as per the instructions of Kulathupuzha Police Inspector B Aneesh. Renuka's body has been shifted to the Paripally Medical College Hospital morgue. The funeral will be held after the postmortem. Children: Manu, Manikandan, Manjima, Maneej. Daughter-in-law: Sajna Manu.