THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major development in the case of the newly-wed woman found hanging at her husband’s house in Palode here, police have taken the husband's friend into custody on Sunday.
Induja was found hanging at her husband Abhijith's house on Friday. In a statement given to police, Abhijith alleged that his friend Ajas had assaulted his wife three days before her death. Ajas has denied the allegation.
During questioning, police found out about Ajas' involvement. A search of his mobile phone revealed that chats with Abhijith had been deleted. More of Abhijith’s friends will be questioned on Sunday.
It was also found that Induja and Abhijith’s marriage was not legally registered.
Induja was found hanging on Friday around 1.30 pm. Her body was found hanging from the window in the bedroom on the first floor of Abhijith’s house. A forensic examination conducted on Saturday did not find anything unusual.
A week before her death, Induja had informed her father and brother over the phone that she was being physically and mentally harassed by her husband and his family.
Following her death, Sasidharan Kaṇi filed a complaint with the Palode police, alleging foul play.
During the investigation, injuries on Induja’s body, believed to be two to three days old, were identified. Police then took Abhijith into custody.