The Panvel City police have registered a case of murder against the couple from Kerala who tried to commit suicide on Saturday in Panvel.
Liji Kurien from Santhampara and Waseem Abdul Khader from Thrissur in Kerala allegedly murdered Ms. Kurien’s husband, Mulloor Rijosh, and eloped, bringing along her two year-old-child Johana. The couple consumed food laced with poison and also fed it to the child, who died.
“Following the death of the child, we had initially registered a case of accidental death. After contacting the Kerala police, we learnt that the couple was wanted in a murder case and hence had attempted suicide. It was clear they had fed the child poison. Hence, we registered a case of murder against them,” senior police inspector Ajay Landge of the Panvel City police said.
On Saturday, the Santhampara police from Kerala had reached Panvel after Mr. Khader sent a confession video of murdering Rijosh. “The team traced the IP address to Panvel. At the same time, the staff of Sameer lodge found the couple and child unconscious in their room and informed the Panvel police. After checking the identity of the couple, they called us in Kerala, and we provided them the numbers of the officers who had gone there,” inspector Pradeep Kumar from Santhampara police station said.
A relative of Rijosh reached Panvel to claim the child’s body on Sunday. Ms. Kurien and Mr. Khader are admitted to JJ Hospital. The Kerala police will return in a few days to arrest them for the murder of Rijosh once they have recovered.
