Post-mortem report exposes cyanide trail
In macabre Kerala case, presence of chemical in Roy Thomas’s body led Crime Branch to suspects
06/10/2019, STAFF REPORTER,KOZHIKODE
The confidential investigation launched by the Crime Branch into the serial murders came to the attention of the people of Koodathayi, a village located about 30 km from the city, only when the investigators decided to open the graves of the six victims and collect the remains for forensic examination.
The squad had maintained secrecy in investigation and placed the suspects — Jolly Shaju, the prime accused, and two others — under surveillance.
Rojo Thomas, son of first victim Tom Thomas, had told the squad that he too was under the scanner of the alleged murderers. The man and his family could not be targeted as they lived abroad, police sources said. It was Mr. Rojo’s persistent demand that prompted the Crime Branch to take up the case, which was not probed in depth by the local police. He had gone to the squad multiple times with the evidence against the suspects, and the Crime Branch then decided to open the graves.
District Police Chief (Kozhikode Rural) K.G. Simon on Saturday said the post-mortem examination of the body of Roy Thomas — the third victim — which revealed traces of cyanide, provided the Crime Branch team with incriminating evidence to arrest the three suspects.
Of the six victims, post-mortem examination was conducted only on Roy Thomas’s body, since his death was suspected to be a case of suicide. “Details of the other five deaths came to light following a two-month investigation by a Crime Branch squad,” Mr. Simon told reporters at Vadakara. He said the police had submitted a re-investigation report to the court.
Forged ID card
According to Mr. Simon, the enthusiasm shown by Jolly Shaju to project the death of her former husband Roy Thomas as cardiac arrest prompted the squad to focus on her. They found that Jolly was using a forged identity card of the NIT-C to create the impression that she was a lecturer there.
“We decided to exhume the bodies of all six victims and do forensic examination. Preliminary evidence shows all were murdered,” he said. Mr. Simon said Jolly and Roy Thomas were not on good terms. “We have evidence to show she got the cyanide from the other two suspects, M.S. Mathew and P. Prajikumar,” he said.
In macabre Kerala case, presence of chemical in Roy Thomas’s body led Crime Branch to suspects
06/10/2019, STAFF REPORTER,KOZHIKODE
The confidential investigation launched by the Crime Branch into the serial murders came to the attention of the people of Koodathayi, a village located about 30 km from the city, only when the investigators decided to open the graves of the six victims and collect the remains for forensic examination.
The squad had maintained secrecy in investigation and placed the suspects — Jolly Shaju, the prime accused, and two others — under surveillance.
Rojo Thomas, son of first victim Tom Thomas, had told the squad that he too was under the scanner of the alleged murderers. The man and his family could not be targeted as they lived abroad, police sources said. It was Mr. Rojo’s persistent demand that prompted the Crime Branch to take up the case, which was not probed in depth by the local police. He had gone to the squad multiple times with the evidence against the suspects, and the Crime Branch then decided to open the graves.
District Police Chief (Kozhikode Rural) K.G. Simon on Saturday said the post-mortem examination of the body of Roy Thomas — the third victim — which revealed traces of cyanide, provided the Crime Branch team with incriminating evidence to arrest the three suspects.
Of the six victims, post-mortem examination was conducted only on Roy Thomas’s body, since his death was suspected to be a case of suicide. “Details of the other five deaths came to light following a two-month investigation by a Crime Branch squad,” Mr. Simon told reporters at Vadakara. He said the police had submitted a re-investigation report to the court.
Forged ID card
According to Mr. Simon, the enthusiasm shown by Jolly Shaju to project the death of her former husband Roy Thomas as cardiac arrest prompted the squad to focus on her. They found that Jolly was using a forged identity card of the NIT-C to create the impression that she was a lecturer there.
“We decided to exhume the bodies of all six victims and do forensic examination. Preliminary evidence shows all were murdered,” he said. Mr. Simon said Jolly and Roy Thomas were not on good terms. “We have evidence to show she got the cyanide from the other two suspects, M.S. Mathew and P. Prajikumar,” he said.
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