‘Rahul has more than two wives, old marriages not dissolved’; lookout notice will be issued

KOZHIKODE: The police said Rahul P Gopal, who tried to kill his newlywedded wife in Pantheerankavu, has other wives. The police said that he had married twice earlier and without divorcing them, he married a third time from Paravoor.

An investigation by the Pantheerankavu police found that Rahul had registered his marriage in Poonjar. This marriage was not dissolved. However, it is reported that the woman of Poonjar, whom he married first, has not lodged a complaint with the police. The police informed that an investigation is going on, in it. Apart from these two, there is information that he has married a third time. The police are also investigating this.

The Pantheerankavu police had yesterday registered a murder attempt case against Rahul P Gopal. The case was registered on the instructions of Feroke division assistant commissioner Saju K Abraham. A search is on for the absconding accused. The police said a lookout circular will be issued so that he does not go abroad.

Seven more people have been included in the investigation team led by Feroke ACP Saju K Abraham. They will record the woman's statement today.

Meantime, Rahul's mother Usha responded to the media on the issue. She told media that her son Rahul beat the woman but it was not for dowry. She clarified that a verbal dispute broke out over a message the woman received on her phone.

‘There was a heated argument between the two. The fight was not over dowry. The girl did not cooperate with the other members of the family after reaching home. She used to come down only to have food. As I cannot climb the stairs, I usually don’t go upstairs. I didn't know about the attack. Rahul was at home till 3 pm yesterday,’ Usha said.

The couple got married in Guruvayur on May 5. She was attacked on May 11. Rahul is from Kottayam. It has been only four or five years since he started living in Kozhikode. Her family had lodged a complaint with the chief minister, women's commission, and Ernakulam rural district police chief demanding to register a murder attempt case against Rahul. Her father had earlier said that the police were reluctant to register a case in the beginning.