Gold sold at Udupi becomes evidence; Subhadra's murder mystery solved

KOCHI: It was the sale of gold in Udupi, Karnataka, by Sharmila, a native of Mangalore, that helped the police solve the murder and burial of Subhadra (73), who went missing from Kadavanthra in Ernakulam. It was on the 7th of last month that Subhadra's second son Radhakrishnan lodged a missing complaint with the Kadavanthra police. The investigation led by Kadavanthra CI was on the suspicion that Subhadra, who had lent huge amounts of money at interest in Kadavanthra and Karithala areas, may have been robbed of the gold and money.

The data collection focused on Subhadra's companions and the places where she used to go. The police got the footage from the CCTV camera near Subhadra's house. Locals told the police that the woman who was with Subhadra was Sharmila, who had been with Subhadra like a shadow for years. The police investigation, which tracked Sharmila's mobile tower location, ended in Udupi. There, the police found out that Sharmila had sold gold and taken money. After collecting all the evidences, the police called Sharmila over the phone, but she replied that she had not gone to Udupi and had not sold any gold. The police did not specify the gold sold and the amount received. Sharmila and her husband Nithin Mathew switched off their phones and left the place.

An investigation focusing on Subhadra's mobile tower location found that the last place she reached was Kalavoor in Alappuzha. Towards the end of last month, the police reached the rented house where Sharmila and Nithin were staying in Kalavoor in search of Subhadra, but no one was present at the spot. The case was handed over to Mannanchery police, which includes Kalavoor.

Subhadra had evicted Nithin and Sharmila from her home in Kalavoor three years ago after quarrels became frequent. They then shifted their stay to a rented house. The police had collected information about the couple from neighbours. This is how the police came to know that they had dug a pit near the house. The police found out that it was a man who worked with Nithin who dug the pit. He told the police that he had dug a pit five feet deep and found the pit covered the next morning.