91-year-old held in Kerala over wife’s murder

Thiruvananthapuram: A 91-year-old man has been taken into custody in Kerala’s Thrissur district, suspected of murdering his 80-year-old wife.

The incident has been reported from Vellikulangara near Thrissur, where Mookkattukara Cheriakutty was taken into custody on Thursday, for allegedly murdering his wife, Kochu Thresia, 80.

Police believe the murder may have happened on Sunday, after a quarrel between the two. The couple were staying alone in their house. Thresia is believed to have been struck on the head with a rod, leading to her death. Her body was later burnt.

Cheriakutty and Thresia have seven children, who all live in separate homes. The children grew suspicious when their mother was missing for a few days. When police arrived and scanned the campus, they found a pile of ashes in a shed behind the house, where Thresia is believed to have been set fire to, after the murder.

A gold chain that Thresia was wearing at the time of her death, was removed and buried within the premises, which has been recovered.