Court grants divorce to Jolly, main accused in Koodathayi mass murder case

KOZHIKODE: Jolly Joseph, the main accused in the Koodathayi mass murder case, that shocked Kerala, has been granted divorce. The family court settled the divorce plea filed by her husband Shaju Zacharias of Ponnamattom family on Monday. The case was finally settled on Monday after the opposing party did not appear despite several hearings. Shaju Zacharias approached the court, requesting that Jolly, who committed the murders, will continue attacks and that the trial in the case is ongoing on remand, and therefore, divorce be granted.

Shaju Zacharias had explained in his plea that Jolly had killed his first wife and daughter, that she had given a false statement to implicate me in the case, and that he could not live with a person who committed brutal murders. Jolly killed six members of Ponnamattom family in Koodathayi between 2002 and 2016. Jolly's son and third witness Remo Roy had given a statement in this regard.

She had poisoned to death retired official of education department Koodathayi Ponnamattom Tom Thomas (66), his wife retired teacher Annamma Thomas (60), their son Roy Thomas (40), Jolly’s first husband, Annamma's brother M M Mathew Manchadyil (68), Tom Thomas' nephew Shaju Zacharias’ wife Sili (44), and daughter Alfine (two). Shaju and Jolly remarried in 2017 after the deaths of Shaju's first wife Sili and Jolly's first husband Roy. Police later found out that Jolly had poisoned Sili and Roy to death. Shaju is the paternal nephew of Jolly's first husband Roy.