Mananthavadi police has arrested a practitioner of black magic, on charges of allegedly killing a 48-year-old woman at Panamaram in the district on Wednesday.
The arrested was identified as Seydalavi Koya Thangal, 30, of Thottumukom house at Keenjakadavu near Panamaram.
K. Muhammed Shaffi, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mananthavadi, told The Hindu that the accused was allegedly involved in the murder of R. Sudha of Chalambat Veetil at Sugandhagiri near Vythiri in the district, who was found afloat on the Panamaram River on Sunday morning.
Sudha had been living alone in a rented house after husband Rajeevan deserted her six years ago, Mr. Shaffi said.
During the interrogation, Seydalavi Koya told the police that Sudha had been approaching him since two months to get her husband back through black magic. Though he assured her that her husband would come back to her life after the magic had been performed, she did not get back him.
When Koya felt Sudha’s frequent visits would adversely affect his magic profession, he planned to assassinate her. When Sudha reached his house on April 17, he hit Sudha on the head with a wooden stump, and later strangulated her to death.
On Sunday morning he dragged the body, after removing her ornaments, to Panamaram River and disposed it.
Mr. Shaffi said the police recovered Sudha’s ornaments and a few of her court documents from Koya’s house .
The accused will be produced before the First class Judicial Magistrate Court, Mananthavadi on Thursday, Mr. Shaffi said.
