Kerala: Missing female activist of Kudumbashree murdered, body buried in a pit; five arrested

The body of the woman activist of Kudumbashree who went missing last week has been recovered. The woman was allegedly murdered and her body was buried in the premises of a former colleague's house in Malappuram, police said on Tuesday.

Four others, including Vishnu, a former temporary employee of the local panchayat, his father, and two younger brothers have been arrested in connection with the incident. The main accused knew the victim for some time as she worked in Panchayat Krishi Bhavan. For information, let us tell you that Kudumbashree is a strong network of 46 lakh women under the state government.

According to the statement of the accused, the body of the woman was buried in the compound of the former co-worker's house. The body has been identified as that of 35-year-old Sujitha, who was missing since August 11. A police officer said that the victim's mobile was switched off near the panchayat office located next to Vishnu's house. After a subsequent investigation, the accused have been arrested. The body was recovered from the garbage dump during the search conducted by the police team on Monday night, they said.

"As per the statement of the accused, it was the body of the missing woman," the official told news agency PTI. It was in disintegrated condition. An expert team comprising forensic surgeons, a dog squad, and fingerprint officers is examining the spot.

The official said that it is suspected that there might have been a fight between the two over some financial transaction. According to Vishnu, he allegedly strangled the woman to death and later hanged her from the ceiling before burying her body in a pit with the help of their close relatives and their common friend. The accused have confessed to the crime, but only a detailed scientific investigation can determine whether the body is that of the missing woman or not.

The officer further said that apart from Vishnu, his father, two brothers, and his friend have also been arrested for aiding him in the commission or concealment of this heinous crime. Police can reach the accused with the help of scientific evidence including mobile call details.