The trial in the first of six cases in the Koodathayi serial murders in Kozhikode will begin on Monday. The preliminary hearing of the murder of Cily Shaju will take place at Kozhikode District Sessions Court. Cily, who died mysteriously in 2016, is the first wife of Shaju Zacharias - the current husband of the accused Jolly Joseph, who is the prime suspect in the serial murders of six people including Cily.
The 48-year-old is suspected to have spread cyanide on a medicine which was consumed by Cily. In the same year, she got married to Cily’s husband Shaju.
According to the chargesheet filed by investigating officials in the case, Jolly had used cyanide to kill six people - her mother-in-law Annamma Thomas, father-in-law Tom Thomas, first husband Roy Thomas, Annamma’s brother Mathew Manjadiyil, Cily and Alphine — Cily’s 2-year-old daughter with Shaju.
MS Mathew, Jolly’s cousin and K Prajikumar, his friend and a goldsmith who allegedly helped procure the cyanide for Jolly, have been named second and third accused in the case.
NK Unnikrishnan is the public prosecutor in the case.
Jolly was arrested by the Kozhikode police on October 5, 2019. The case has been investigated by a special investigating team led by Kozhikode rural Superintendent of Police (SP), KG Simon.
Earlier, in February this year, Jolly had attempted to kill herself inside the Kozhikode district jail, where she was lodged. Police officials had confirmed to TNM that the accused had tried to harm herself using a sharp object.
“It happened at around 4:50am on Thursday. There were three other inmates in the cell with Jolly. They immediately informed the warden. Following this, Jolly was first admitted to the district hospital and then the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Haridasan, who is part of the investigating team, told TNM.