In an incident that has sent shockwaves across Kerala, the body of a 44-year-old woman was found buried underneath a newly built mud stove inside the kitchen of her neighbour's house at Panickankudy in Kerala’s Idukki district on Friday, September 3. Thamadathil Sindhu Babu, who was living with a man, had gone missing on August 12. The man named Benoy, who was her neighbour, is suspected to be behind Sindhu’s death and is absconding. The family has alleged that police did not investigate the case properly and that it was Sindhu’s sons who found her body buried in the kitchen.
The issue came to light after Sindhu’s mother filed a missing person complaint with Vellathooval police on August 15. Sindhu was earlier living in a rented house with her younger 12-year-old son at Panickankudy for six years, after leaving her husband. She then got close with a neighbor, Manikkunnel Benoy, 48, and moved to his house with the son. The police said that on August 11, she sent her son to stay with Benoy's relative. The next day, her son noticed that Sindhu was missing and informed Sindhu's relatives.
"It is suspected that Benoy is absconding after murdering her. A search is on to trace Benoy. We confirmed that the body found inside the kitchen was that of the missing woman. We need the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death," said a police official from Vellathooval police station. "The body will be exhumed in the presence of Idukki tehsildar and forensic team on Saturday," the official added.
After Sindhu went missing, the relatives alleged that Benoy was behind her disappearance. They said that he quarrelled with her on August 11, and the next day, she was missing. The complaint lodged by Sindhu’s mother stated that Benoy used to physically assault her. The family has however alleged that the police did not make any effort to question Benoy. On Friday, the relatives searched Benoy’s house and found a new construction inside the kitchen. When they dug the ground under the newly constructed earthen stove, they discovered Sindhu’s body. Then the family informed the police. The family also discovered to their shock that Benoy had used the stove for at least two days after August 12.
“When she went missing, Benoy first told my brother that she went to collect grass. The next day, he said that she took a bag and left. We had informed the police of our suspicions. We knew that a stove had been constructed recently and decided to search, and we found our mother’s body,” Sindhu’s elder son told the media.
Kerala State Women's Commission member Shahida Kamal said that the commission has registered a suo moto case based on the incident. "The commission has directed Idukki police chief to submit a report before it soon. The commission also directed the police to take steps to arrest the accused,” she said.