Thiruvananthapuram: A woman missing over the last 15 years from Mannar in Alappuzha district of south Kerala is suspected to have been murdered and her mortal remains hidden in the septic tank of her husband's house.
Mannar native Anilkumar's wife Kala was reported missing in 2009. She was aged around 20 when she disappeared. Anilkumar had filed a missing complaint, claiming she was having an affair and ran away, leaving him and their child behind.
15 years since, an anonymous letter received by the local police is learnt to have led to the twist in the missing case.
Police on Tuesday examined the septic tanks of the husband's house where certain suspicious items were collected from the septic tanks for forensic examination.
Alappuzha district police chief Chaitra Teresa John told reporters that from the evidence gathered so far it seemed to be murder and hence a murder case would be registered.
The items received from the septic tank would be subjected to forensic examinations and further scientific investigation need to be done. Personal issues with Anilkumar was suspected to be the provocation for the murder.
Efforts are on to deport Anilkumar, who is now working in Israel. Some people, including friends and relatives of Anilkumar, were kept in police custody.
Kala and Anilkumar were from different religions and were neighbours. They got married in 2007 against the wish of their families. Kala was reported missing since 2009. Anilkumar's version was that she was havving an affair and ran away with a youth. She also left behind their child who was one year old then. Anilkumar had also married another woman afterwards.
Anilkumar had then filed a missing complaint with the police. But there was no progress in the probe.
A few months back police got an anonymous letter that two people held in connection with a criminal case from the locality were involved in Kala's murder. On further investigation police received clues that Kala was murdered and her mortal remains were dumped in septic tanks of Anilkumar's house.
Meanwhile, a woman identified as Kala's sister-in-law (brother's sister) told a section of media on Wednesday that Kala contacted her twice soon after she went missing. Kala had also said that she was living at Palakkad district with a youth identified as Sooraj.