KOCHI: Crime Branch has started a probe into the murder of 72-year-old Saramma at her residence in Kothamangalam. The probe team recently visited the victim’s house for evidence collection.
Saramma was found hacked to death at her residence in Kallad near Kothamangalam on March 24. As many as 48g of gold ornaments, including chains and bangles she was wearing, were missing. Police, which first probed the case, failed to trace the people behind the incident, following which the case was referred to the CB unit in Ernakulam.
“Our team recently visited the house of the deceased person. The crime scene was re-examined. Similarly, the statements of the witnesses are under scrutiny. Fresh statements of the witnesses will be recorded as part of the investigation. Though the police suspected a certain person’s involvement, no evidence could be found against the individual,” a senior CB officer said.
The Crime Branch will be making a fresh start to the probe. “Though robbery is suspected to be the intention behind the murder prima facie, it was found that the accused person did not steal all gold ornaments from the house. The gold ornaments inside the almirah were intact. We have to look into all pieces of evidence and statements collected by the police and start from the beginning. Also, suspects would be interrogated again,” he said.
The Crime Branch is also probing the death of 66-year-old Amina Abdul Kadhar, who was also found murdered in a similar way in Kothamangalam in March 2021. The murderer, after killing Amina, took away 9.25 sovereigns of gold ornaments she was wearing.