Kerala’s serial murder case using cyanide cracked

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 06: The Kerala police have cracked a serial murder case, in which six persons including three of a family were killed using cyanide between 2002 and 2016.

Jolly Shaju and her two accomplices, M S Mathew and Prajikumar were arrested after the mortal remains of the victims were exhumed. The woman is alleged to have murdered her father-in-law, mother-in-law and three other close relatives over the past 14 years. The police allege that the murders were committed to grab property.

The police tracked the killer after the arrest of Mathew and Prajikumar who are alleged to have supplied the cyanide to the accused. The duo had access to the cyanide as they were working at a jewellery store. The chemical is used to process gold ornaments. The police say that both had left their jobs after the murders.

The police say that the accused mixed the chemical in the food of the victims. The accused after masterminding the killings had married a another member of the family. The crime was exposed after a member of the victim's family filed a confidential petition with the crime branch seeking a thorough probe into the deaths.