TRIPRAYAR: In a horrific incident, a woman was strangled to death by an autorickshaw driver after she refused to give him her gold jewelry to pledge. Thalikkulam native Sajitha (61) was strangled to death by Valapad native Habibullah (52), an auto driver of Triprayar Center. The incident took place at around 9.15 am on Wednesday.

Sajitha was living alone at her home. Although Sajitha's neighbours had rushed to her house after screams from her house, they returned after seeing the door remaining open and Habibullah sitting inside. When they went there later, the door was locked from the inside. Following this, they informed the ward member about the matter. Later, when they opened the door in the presence of the ward member, they found Sajitha lying dead on the bed. Habibullah was sitting nearby the body. Upon checking him, the neighbours recovered three sovereigns of gold jewelry worn by Sajitha from his shirt pocket. Although Habibullah tried to escape, the locals apprehended him and handed him over to Valapad police.

Sajitha used to call Habibullah's autorickshaw regularly. Habibullah came to Sajitha's house in the morning after buying masala dosa and asked her to pledge gold to pay his debt. When she refused to give the gold, he took possession of the jewelry by force and when Sajitha screamed, he killed her by strangling her with a shawl. The accused was later produced in court and remanded.

Sajitha, a single woman, had been living alone since her mother died a year and a half ago. Sajitha's body was shifted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital Mortuary. The burial will be done after the post-mortem.