Koodathayi serial killer Jolly Joseph attempts suicide by slitting wrist, admitted to Kozhikode

Kozhikode, Feb 27: Koodathayi serial murders accused Jolly Joseph, who allegedly poisoned six members of a family to death, attempted suicide in jail, was admitted to Kozhikode Medical College with a slit wrist. Earlier this month, the sixth charge sheet was filed against murder accused Jolly Thomas.

The first target of Jolly was her mother-in-law, who she murdered in 2002. Jolly fed her poisoned mutton soup. Next in her target list was Jolly's father-in-law who was identified as Tom Thomas. He was murdered in 2008.

In 2011, Jolly killed her husband Roy Thomas and their son. Roy's death was at first stated to be suicide. The post-mortem was done only after his uncle insisted on it.

The SP said police had lot of evidence against Jolly and there was no question of her husband having committed suicide.

No post-mortem was conducted on other bodies as the family had not suspected any foul play, he said.

Police had collected evidence from the remains of others who had died after exhuming their bodies.

Eight years after Roy's death on September 30, 2011 following consumption of cyanide-laced food, Jolly and two others were arrested on October 5 last year as a Special Investigation Team began its probe into the six deaths that had occurred between 2002-2016, following a complaint from Roy's US-based brother.

While Roy parents --mother Annamma Thomas died in 2002 and father Tom Thomas died in 2008.

Annamma's brother Mathew died in 2014 and two relatives Sili and her one year old daughter in 2016.

For years, Jolly had posed as a B.Tech lecturer in NIT Kozhikode.

As investigations began, it was found she was not even a graduate and had fake degrees and fake NIT identity cards.

After Roy's death, Jolly had got married to Shaju, whose wife Sili and daugter were among the dead.

Simon said the investigating team was preparing charge sheet in five other cases as well.

(with PTI inputs)