
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kadinamkulam police recorded the arrest of Johnson, a Kollam native accused of murdering his Instagram friend Athira, 30, on Tuesday, a week after the crime on January 21.
Johnson, who allegedly tried to end his life after consuming poison, was brought to Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night after treatment at the Kottayam MCH. Apprehensive of protests by locals, the police first took Johnson to the Mangalapuram police station. He was then interrogated under the leadership of the Attingal DySP.
In his statement to the police, he said Athira’s husband had threatened to kill their child and end his own life if she went with Johnson. Following this, the Kadinamkulam resident refused to leave with Johnson. Enraged, he decided to kill her.
The police said Johnson reached out to Athira’s family and relatives first, revealing their relationship. As her family tried to dissuade her from continuing the affair, Johnson plotted the murder. It was also found that there were financial dealings between the two, and that Johnson had allegedly forced Athira to give him money, including the advance payment for the rented house where they had planned to live together.
The police said Johnson had been in contact with Athira for a year, and that he purchased the knife used in the crime from a shop in Chirayinkeezhu. On Tuesday, as part of evidence collection, the police took him to the shop as well as to the spot where he had abandoned Athira’s scooter after the crime. They said Johnson will be taken to the murder site for further evidence collection after they receive his custody.
Murder most foul
On January 21, Johnson went to Athira’s house at Kadinamkulam. He stabbed her in the neck and slit her throat. He took Athira’s scooter to Chirayinkeezhu railway station and then travelled to Kottayam by train.