THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 20-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries after being stabbed by a man repeatedly at her rented house near Karipur in the Valiyamala police station limit here on Monday afternoon.
The woman was attacked by a 28-year-old man, identified as Arun, with a knife. Soon after the attack, local residents caught him and handed him over to the police. The police said they are yet to ascertain the motive behind the attack, but added that the accused, a native of Peyad, and the victim have known each other for at least four years.
The police sources said Arun was an accused in a few criminal cases. The victim’s mother told the police that the accused had snatched mobile phone and gold ornaments from the victim about four years ago and she had filed a case in this regard with Aryanadu police.
The victim, who got married a year ago and had been estranged from her husband for some time, has been living with her parents. The victim’s father said he spotted someone walking past their house quickly and to find out who it was, he went out with the victim. When they returned, the assailant grabbed his wife by her neck and yelled at his daughter, threatening to kill her.
“On seeing the victim, he shouted that he would kill her. Suddenly, he got hold of her and banged her face on to the wall and the dining table. Later, he stabbed her multiple times,” said a police officer. The woman received deep wounds all over the body. She has also suffered multiple fractures and is said to be in a highly critical condition.“She sustained fractures on her face and head after being banged against the wall and the table. She sustained about 30 wounds, 15 of them inflicted with a sharp knife,” the officer added.
‘We can only know reason from accused and victim’
The officer did neither rule out nor confirm whether it was a crime of passion and added that the statement given by the victim’s mother did not suggest whether they was any relationship between the accused and the victim in the past. “We can only know the reason from the accused and the victim. We are questioning the accused. Meanwhile, the victim is not in a position to talk.”