THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vizhinjam police on Saturday arrested three persons, including a mother and son, for allegedly murdering a 75-year-old woman and stealing her gold ornaments at Mulloor here on Friday. The victim is Shanthakumari, a resident of Alummoodu veedu, Mulloor. Rafeeqa Beevi, 50, son Shafeeq, 23, and Rafeeqa’s friend Al Amen, 26, of Vizhinjam, were arrested in connection with the case.
The arrested were neighbours of Shanthakumari and had been living for rent in a house owned by Sreekumar. The trio invited the victim to their home and robbed her jewellery. Later, they strangled Shanthakumari with a shawl and hit her head with a hammer-like object. Later, they hid her body in the attic of their house.
They then called Sreekumar’s son and informed him that they were vacating the house. Later, the owner’s son reached the house. When he opened the house, he found blood oozing from the roof of the verandah. He informed the neighbours and later they found Shanthakumari’s body.
The Vizhinjam police were immediately informed and they traced the location of the mobile phones of the suspects which were located near Thycaud Music College. The police team found that the accused had boarded a Kozhikode-bound private bus. The police then alerted the bus driver and the conductor and told them to stop the bus near Kazhakootam police station.