Kochi: Lottery seller held for woman’s murder
The police recovered the body, which was decomposed, from the bushes.
Kottayam: The police on Tuesday arrested a lottery seller in connection with the murder of a lottery-selling woman, whose body was found near Kottayam MCH a few days ago.
Sathyan, 45, of Kozhenchery, who sold lottery tickets along with the deceased Ponnamma, murdered her on July 8 to take away her money and gold jewellery. He hit her on her head using a stone and her body was dumped in the bushes near the cancer ward in the MCH compound. The police recovered the body, which was decomposed, from the bushes.
According to the police, Ponnama was staying with Sathyan, and after she faced physical abuse from him, she stayed at the women's ward in the Kottayam MCH. Ponnama's daughter Sathya complained to the police after she stopped getting Ponnamma's phone calls. She said in her statement that Ponnama had money and gold in her bag. Ponnama's son Santhosh went missing some 18 years ago when he was 12.
The accused was charged with murder, concealing a criminal offence and stealing money. The police recovered a gold chain weighing two sovereigns, hundreds of lottery tickets and Rs 40 from the accused.
He was presented at the Ettumanur judicial first class magistrate court and remanded in Kottayam sub-jail.