16-yr-old in Kerala allegedly killed by her brother with poisoned ice cream
In a horrid incident, a 16-year-old girl in Kerala’s Kasaragod district has been murdered allegedly by her brother who is suspected to have given her ice cream laced with poison. The Vellarikkundu police have recorded the arrest of 22-year-old Albin Benny on charges of murder.
According to the police, Albin tried to poison the family first using chicken curry, and then by mixing poison in ice cream.
His father Benny, a farmer, who also ate the poisoned ice cream is hospitalised at a private hospital in Kannur and is in critical condition.
The police said that Ann Mary, 16, and her father Benny, were admitted to the Cooperative Hospital in Vellarikundu on August 3 after developing uneasiness due to food poisoning after they are ice cream made by Albin.
“They were admitted in the hospital for two days. They tested negative for all virus examinations, but were diagnosed with jaundice,” Vellarikkund Circle Inspector Prem Sadan told TNM.
The duo were then discharged from the hospital and sought treatment from a local medical practitioner in Cherupuzha. But Ann’s condition worsened in the subsequent days and she succumbed to death on August 6.
The post mortem conducted as per police protocol revealed that the death was unnatural. As per police officials, there were traces of poison in Ann’s body.
The police grew suspicious after finding that only Ann Mary and her father were affected after eating the ice cream. Benny, who was later shifted to Aster MIMS in Kozhikode, was said to have serious illness with 80 percent of his liver being damaged.
“The police had kept track of the incident as it was suspicious how two people — mother and Albin — survived without any problems even after reportedly having eaten the ice cream. So we had been monitoring their house and on subsequent questioning, Albin’s involvement unfurled and he was arrested on Thursday. The mother is believed to have had no role in the crime,” the Circle Inspector told TNM.
Mixed poison with ice cream and chicken curry
As per the police, Albin had tried to poison the family twice. After the first attempt of mixing poison in chicken curry was futile, he added more poison this time in ice cream.
On July 30, Albin made ice cream and kept it in two jars in their fridge. “He, along with other family members, ate ice cream that was kept in one jar which was not mixed with poison. After finishing this jar of ice cream, he mixed rat poison in the second jar. But Albin did not eat from the poisoned jar, faking a cold. His mother Bessy also did not eat this time since she didn’t like ice creams much,” said the police officer.
But Benny and Ann who ate the poisoned ice cream started to show uneasiness in the subsequent days.
“A week before he made ice cream, he mixed rat poison in chicken curry, but no one was affected as the poison amount was small. He bought poison again on July 29. It has been found from his phone that he had searched about rat poison,” said the police.
He has been under police custody since Thursday morning.
Following the preliminary probe, police officials presume that Albin allegedly tried to poison the whole family as he wanted to live alone. Police say that he is a substance abuser.