Couple sentenced to life for murder of man in Kottayam

KOTTAYAM: The couple accused in the Manganam Santhosh murder case have been sentenced to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh each. The court had found Vinod Kumar of Muttambalam and his wife Kunjumol guilty in the murder of Santhosh of Payyapadi Malakunnam. The sentence was pronounced by Kottayam District Sessions Court Judge J Nassar.

An extramarital affair between Santhosh and Kunjumol led to the murder. Santhosh and Vinod met and became friends in prison. The murder was committed in 2017. Although the crime was committed on August 23, Santhosh's headless body was found four days later. The body was found tied in two sacks and abandoned near the culvert at Manganam in Kottayam. The police had stated in the charge sheet that the enmity in the romantic relationship between Santhosh and Kunjumol led to the murder.

Vinod, who came to know about their relationship, beat his wife and decided to kill Santhosh. For this, he asked his wife to call Santhosh from her own phone and asked her to invite him home at night. He took Santhosh to a rented house in Meenadam. Santhosh, who was sitting on the sofa of the house, was hit on the head with an iron rod from behind.

The police charge sheet said Vinod got angry and committed the murder after knowing their sexual relationship. Vinod had previously been jailed for a case of kicking his own father to death. Santhosh was also in the same jail. Santhosh was jailed in a case of pouring acid on a woman's face and killing her. When Santhosh was released from jail, Vinod asked him to help his wife if needed.