Kerala woman kills mother, 75, for gold chain to help lover

Dubai: In a shocking case from Kerala’s Thrissur district, a 75-year-old woman was murdered — allegedly by her own daughter and the daughter’s partner — over a gold chain.

The chain, which went missing after the crime, ultimately became the clue that exposed the killers, according to Indian media reports.

The victim, Thankamani, was found dead early Sunday morning in a plot behind her home in Mundoor.

Locals initially believed she had fallen, as she bore injuries on her face. Police, too, considered the possibility of an accidental fall —until the post-mortem confirmed homicide.

As investigators began probing the death, neighbours told police that Thankamani never removed her gold chain, which was now missing. This immediately raised suspicion and led officers to question her daughter Sandhya (45), who had been living with her after separating from her husband.

Confrontation

Police soon unearthed a disturbing motive. According to the investigation and an NDTV report, Sandhya was in a relationship with Nithin (29), a man from the same neighbourhood. She allegedly wanted to hand over her mother’s gold chain to support him financially.

During interrogation, Sandhya confessed that an argument broke out when her mother refused to part with the chain.

The confrontation escalated, and in the heat of the scuffle, Sandhya allegedly grabbed her mother’s throat and pushed her. Thankamani fell backward, hitting her head on the ground. She died on the spot.

Police said Sandhya and Nithin then attempted to stage the death as accidental. They feigned ignorance when the body was found, hoping authorities would assume she had slipped and fallen. But the autopsy findings — coupled with the missing jewellery — blew their cover.

Both Sandhya and Nithin have been taken into custody, and a deeper probe into the murder and the couple’s financial dealings is underway.