The Kerala police on Friday, February 25, said they have arrested a 34-year old panchayat member as well as her accomplice for allegedly trying to trap her husband in a drugs case. The police said that the woman tried to implicate her husband under charges of possessing drugs so that she could be in a relationship with another man, who is a non-resident Indian (NRI). The police have now arrested Soumya Sunil, a CPI(M) member from Idukki Vandanmedu panchayat, for trying to frame her husband Sunil Varghese.
The police have said that Soumya, the panchayat member, conspired with the NRI and two others, and planted five grams of MDMA, also known as ecstasy, inside her husband Sunil's motorbike. On February 22, the police said they got a tip-off that Sunil's two-wheeler contained the contraband and seized it. However, investigations revealed that Sunil was innocent, they said.
Then, acting on the clues from an informant, the police said they found out that the person who planted the drug was someone known to Soumya. He was arrested on the basis of the call records which revealed that he was in touch with the NRI man, whom Soumya is believed to be in a relationship with. Then, it came to light that the NRI man, identified as Vinodh, was in contact with Soumya. When interrogated, Soumya confessed to the crime, the police said.
The police said that two men, Shefin and Shanavas, both residents of Ernakulam, have been arrested for supplying the MDMA to them.
According to reports, Soumya was in a relationship with the married NRI, Vinodh, who currently lives in Saudi Arabia. The New Indian Express reports that Soumya had planned to ‘get rid’ of her husband, but was hesitant to carry out any big step out of fear of getting arrested.
After the police caught her husband Sunil after the tip-off and found the drugs in his bike, Sunil vehemently denied the charge. Then, the police realised he did not have any precedents and was never implicated in any drugs case previously. They realised he had been framed, and further investigation revealed that it was a conspiracy between Soumya and Vinodh from Saudi Arabia. Reports say the conspiracy was hatched when Soumya and the NRI stayed at a private resort, pretending to be husband and wife, for two days. Soumya and Vinodh bought the MDMA pills from Shefin and Shanavas for Rs 45,000.
While Soumya and the two others have been arrested, the police are currently on a search to locate and arrest Vinodh.
