PALAKKAD: Investigations have found that sisters Padmini, 75, and Thankam, 72, of Neelamalakunnu in Kavalapara, Shoranur, who were found dead at their house, were murdered during a robbery attempt, police said. Earlier it was thought that they had died after suffering burns due to the bursting of a gas cylinder.
District police chief R Anand told mediapersons at the Shoranur police station on Friday evening that the murderer, Manikantan, 48, a painting worker and a native of Mattaya, Njangattiri near Pattambi, was familiar to the two sisters as he had worked at their home. He used to borrow money from the sisters.
Manikantan, was caught by the local people on the day of the incident as he tried to run away when they rushed to the house for rescue operations after the LPG cylinder caught fire.
The police said the two sisters were murdered after they resisted Manikantan’s attempts to steal their jewellery. The gold looted from the house was recovered from Manikantan’s innerwear. Manikantan is reported to have admitted to the crime. He told police that he came to the house with the intention of looting the ornaments. The police have recorded his arrest.
According to the police, both sisters were unmarried. Manikantan knew that they had been employed earlier and were financially sound. Both sisters were living in two separate houses situated a few metres apart. Manikantan arrived at Padmini’s house two-and-a-half hours before the murder.
When Thankam heard Padmini screaming, she went to the latter’s house. The accused, meanwhile, tried to decamp with the gold after killing them. He had also released the gas pipe so as to kill the two sisters. However, local people who saw smoke billowing out of the house rushed to the house and saw a man running out. He had injuries on his body and also on his neck and there were also bloodstains. His shirt was also torn. When questioned by locals, Manikantan had said it happened while rescuing the sisters.
There were also bloodstains on the floor and wall of the house. The partially charred bodies of the sisters were lying in the sitting room. Padmini had an injury on the head. It was then found that the accused had hidden three bangles of Padmini and one chain of Thankam in his innerwear, said P C Haridas, Shoranur DySP.