Dispute over Kudumbashree money; husband hacks 76-year-old wife to death and attempts suicide

KOLLAM: Husband hacked his 76-year-old wife to death in her bedroom after a dispute over money. The deceased is Omana, a native of Chirattakonam, Vettikkavala. The husband, Kuttappan (78), was arrested by the Kottarakkara police.

The incident happened after midnight on Wednesday. Kuttappan and Omana were staying in the family home with their younger daughter Swapna. The two went to the bedroom to sleep at night. When they were late opening the door in the morning, Swapna knocked on the door. It was only when she opened the door that was unlocked that she came to know about the brutal murder. Omana's body was lying on the floor, bathed in blood. Kuttappan was sitting on the bed. After the murder, Kuttappan had tried to hang himself by tying a rope to the fan.

Kottarakkara police, fingerprint experts and forensic authorities reached the spot and collected evidence. Kuttappan was produced in court and remanded. The body was cremated in the house compound after the postmortem. Other children: Dineshan, Deepa, Haridasan. In-laws: Shyamala, Hari, Atma, Madhu.

Omana, a cashew worker, was a member of Kudumbashree. Omana lent the Rs. 18,000 she received from Kudumbashree to someone else. The two argued several times on the day of the incident over who she lent the money to. They even fought in the bedroom at night. Kuttappan told the police that he then slashed Omana's neck with a machete around midnight. He slashed her neck three times. The machete was recovered by the police.