Palakkad man held for strangling wife over suspicion of extramarital affair

PALAKKAD: A 26-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband at their residence in Sreekrishnapuram after he suspected her of being involved in an extramarital affair. The accused, identified as Deekshith, also aged 26, from Kattukulam, reportedly strangled his wife, Vaishnavi, to death and attempted to pass it off as a natural death. Vaishnavi was found unconscious at the residence in the early hours of Friday. At the time of the incident, only Deekshit was at home. He informed Vaishnavis parents, claiming that she had suddenly fallen ill and collapsed. Her parents rushed to the house, and she was taken to a private hospital in Mangode, but was declared dead on arrival. However, the circumstances surrounding her death raised suspicion, prompting the police to register a case of unnatural death and launch a detailed investigation. The post-mortem report later confirmed that the death was due to strangulation, establishing it as a case of homicide. Followingly, Deekshith was taken into custody and interrogated, during which he confessed to the crime. He claimed that he killed Vaishnavi as he suspected her of having close ties with another person. Police collected evidence at the residence on Saturday in the presence of the accused. A forensic team also examined the scene. The accused will be produced before the court later in the evening. Vaishnavi is the daughter of Unnikrishnan and Shanta of Cholakkal House, Anamangad, Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district. She married Deekshith on May 19 last year. Though the couple had been married for over a year and a half, relatives said they were unaware of any major marital disputes between them.