KOCHI: An Odisha native murdered his wife before hanging himself to death at a rented room at Oodakali near Perumbavoor here on Saturday. The deceased couple is identified as Silaaka Pradhaan, 23, and her husband Vishnukara Pradhaan, 26. Both were employees at a plywood factory near at Ashamanoor panchayat in Oodakali.
According to the police, the woman’s neck was cut open with a knife. There was a 10cm wide and 4cm deep wound on the front portion of her neck. There is a fracture on her left hand as well. The incident is suspected to have happened between 9pm on Friday and 7.30am on Saturday.
They were living at the one-room facility of a building rented to migrant workers. A woman residing at the next room saw Vishnukara hanging at the window of the room. She immediately informed the owner of the building who contacted the police. “The woman was found lying in a pool of blood and Vishnukara was found hanging at the window. As the doors were locked from inside and no indication of anyone trespassing into the room was there, we suspect that the man first murdered his wife before committing suicide,” a police official said.
The neighbour saw them at around 9pm on Friday. The witnesses told police that the couple used to quarrel daily. They were not close to neighbours who were mostly from Assam.
Kuruppampady police have registered separate FIRs of murder and unnatural death and conducted inquest proceedings. The post-mortem examination will be held on Sunday after Covid test results are received. An elder brother of the woman who is a labourer at Arakkapady has been intimated about the death.