A forensic team on Wednesday exhumed the mortal remains of Shaji Peter, a 44-year-old Yeroor resident who was allegedly murdered and buried by his brother and mother.
The Yeroor police had taken into custody Shaji’s brother Sajin Peter, mother Ponnamma and Sajin’s wife Arya on Tuesday after they received a tip-off about the murder. During interrogation, Sajin and his mother confessed to the crime that took place on the Onam day of 2018. Shaji, an accused in several theft and assault cases, has been missing for two and a half years and his family had created an impression that he relocated to another place in order to evade arrest.
Following a quarrel
According to the police, the murder took place when Sajin and his wife visited Shaji and Ponnamma at their house in Bharathipuram. A quarrel broke out between the siblings when Shaji tried to attack Ponnamma and Arya and in the ensuing clash he sustained severe head injuries. Reportedly, Sajin hit an inebriated Shaji with an iron rod and when they realised he was dead, Sajin and his mother buried the body on the premise. The grave near the well was later sealed with concrete. Since the house stands in the middle of a vast rubber plantation with no other houses nearby, it was easy to bury the body without anyone noticing it.
A tip-off
It was a relative, a cousin of the deceased, who informed the police after he came to know about the incident during a recent visit. A resident of Pathanamthitta, he gave a statement before the Pathanamthitta Dy.SP who alerted the Yeroor police and the three accused were taken into custody on Tuesday. Sajin and Ponnamma have been booked under section 302 of Indian Penal Code for murder while Arya will face charges for destroying evidence and giving false information to screen the offenders.
