KOCHI: Surprisingly Koodathayi and Pinarayi serial murder cases have certain things in common. In the Pinarayi case, Soumya, 28, murdered her daughter Aishwarya, mother V Kamala and father VV Kunhikannan by administering them rat poison.
But Soumya, who was arrested in April 2018, committed suicide at the Kannur Women’s Sub-Jail. According to the police, Soumya had committed the murders during a four-month span to cover up her extramarital affairs. It was after a gap of seven years that the police were able to unravel the mystery behind the deaths as Soumya was smart enough to convince others that her family members died after drinking water from a contaminated well.
Police launched a murder probe after one of Soumya’s relatives lodged a complaint. Officers confirmed the murder angle after body of the child was exhumed and detailed forensic examination conducted. Both Soumya and Jolly had spiked the food served to the victims.