IDUKKI: In the presence of curious onlookers, the police on Sunday exhumed the skeletal remains, believed to be that of Vijayan, from a rented house at Kakkattukada in Kanchiyar.
Vijayan of Nellanickal house was allegedly murdered by Nitheesh, 31, of Puthanpurackal house in August 2023 and his body buried inside the house rented by Vijayan’s son Vishnu, 27.
Meanwhile, the police, who initially invoked murder charges only against Nitheesh, have now charged Vishnu as well as Vijayan’s wife Suma with murder based on Nitheesh’s confession. Sources said Nitheesh had smashed Vijayan’s head with a hammer following an altercation. The murder weapon has been recovered. It was based on Nitheesh’s statement that he had buried Vijayan’s body in a room of the rented house, that the police reached the spot and began the process to exhume the body.
The police dug up the pit where the body was hidden and found a securely-taped cardboard box. The skeletal remains, bent and smashed, were found inside the box.
“Besides bones and skull, we have recovered footwear, belt and pants,” said an official. As per the police, the remains have been sent to the Idukki Medical College Hospital for autopsy to reveal the cause of death – whether it was a murder, suicide or natural death. The remains will then be sent for DNA analysis to ascertain whether the deceased is Vijayan, said the official. “Only after that can we say anything concrete,” said the official.
Meanwhile, the police tried to exhume the body of the newborn allegedly fathered and killed by Nitheesh from the cowshed near the house in Sagara Junction in Kattappana where Vijayan and his family lived earlier, but had to abandon the move halfway due to poor light. The effort will resume on Monday, said Idukki SP T K Vishnu Pratheep.
As per the police, Nitheesh killed the child, born to Vijayan’s daughter Vidhya, in 2016. Nitheesh, who had an affair with Vidhya, confessed to killing the baby to protect his honour, said the police.
