A 57-year-old woman living alone was found brutally murdered near her home at Cheriyar, under the Santhanpara police station limits in Idukki, on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Rani. According to the police, the victim had been decapitated, her head bore serious injuries, and her right forearm was completely mutilated.
As she was not seen since Sunday, a neighbour who went to her house to inquire and found the front door open. A search of the surroundings revealed Rani’s body lying on the pathway leading to the house.
Following an alert by local residents, the police, along with forensic experts and a dog squad, arrived at the scene and conducted an inspection. The body was later shifted to the Idukki Government Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
A police team led by Idukki SP A. Naseem, Idukki DySP K.R. Mohandas, and Munnar ASP Amrutha Satheepan inspected the crime scene and collected evidence. The police noted that Rani had previously been accused of murdering her husband, Balamurukan, in Theni, Tamil Nadu, about 25 years ago. After serving her prison sentence, she moved to Cheriyar and had been living there since. Her children reside in Munnar.
The police added that two migrant workers residing near the victim’s house have been missing for the past two days, and a search has been launched to trace them.
Published – November 10, 2026 09:24 pm IST
