A woman was stabbed to death at Kadayabhagam near Palluruthy around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police suspect that she may have been stabbed after an attempt by the attacker to snatch her gold chain.
Sindhu Jayan, 40, a resident of Vaysapuram Colony, Kadayabhagam, was returning home with her 7-year-old daughter after shopping in the evening when she was assaulted by a man on foot trying to snatch her chain.
He allegedly asked her to hand over the chain and stabbed her when she refused.
The attacker escaped immediately. Local residents arrived on the spot hearing the child’s cries and took the woman to the hospital. Police said Sindhu had died by the time she reached the hospital.
Police identified the attacker as Madhu, 28, who lived close to the woman’s house, and have launched a search for him. “Robbery could have been the motive for the murder. But we cannot rule out anything at this stage as the attacker lived close to the victim’s house. We are continuing our investigation,” said an officer in the Palluruthy police station.
Sindhu’s husband Jayan is a manual labourer. The couple have two children. The body will be taken to Alappuzha medical college for post-mortem examination.
