Husband gets wife killed by snake in second attempt
Preliminary investigations revealed that the husband, P Sooraj, tried killing his wife in March by using the same method, said Kollam rural police superintendent S Harishankar. S Uthra survived the first snakebite.
A 25-year-old woman who died of snakebite in Kollam district over two weeks ago was murdered by her husband who let a black cobra loose in her room at night, the Kerala Police said on Sunday.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the husband, P Sooraj, tried killing his wife in March by using the same method, said Kollam rural police superintendent S Harishankar. S Uthra survived the first snakebite.
“After preliminary investigations, we found that it was a well-planned crime. He told us he had been planning for over five months,” Harishankar said. He added that Sooraj, 32, wanted to usurp her gold and marry another woman.
The police have arrested Sooraj, a resident of Adoor and a private bank employee, and Suresh P, a snake catcher who helped him in the crime.
The woman’s parents filed a police complaint a week after her death, alleging that Sooraj and his family members harassed Uthra for dowry. The couple had been married for two years and has a son.
The police said Sooraj bought a cobra from the snake handler after paying him ₹10,000. He got necessary training from the handler.
On May 6, he took it to Uthra’s house in Anchal, where she had been undergoing treatment at her parents’ place since the first incident.
“...Sooraj and the handler were in touch with each other and both made at least 50 calls. After the first attempt failed, he was waiting for an opportunity,” Harishankar said.
The police said after Uthra fell asleep, Sooraj allegedly took out the snake from the bottle and threw it on her. He kept awake all night to ensure that it did not bite him. He left the room in the morning and started reading a newspaper in the verandah.
Uthra’s mother found her daughter unconscious in the morning. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors said she died of snakebite.
Later, when the room was examined, the family members found a cobra, which was killed by Sooraj.
The couple slept in an air-conditioned room and it was difficult to believe that he did not notice the snake before, the woman’s parents alleged in the police complaint.
Uthra’s parents alleged that the woman was harassed for dowry and that ornaments were missing from her locker .
“I was forced to loosen my purse strings on several occasions. But we never thought he will kill my daughter like this,” said Vijaya Senan, the woman’s father.
Harishankar said: “We have investigated the case scientifically. It is a strange case. At this juncture, we can’t rule out whether more persons were involved. The arrested will be produced in court on Monday.”