Kerala police got custody of alleged serial killer Jolly Amma Joseph and co-accused MS Mathew for the third time on Tuesday. Jolly will be in police custody for four days and Mathew for three days. Though the police had sought 14 days custody, Jolly's court appointed advocate objected to it. He reportedly argued that police are trying to falsely charge Jolly in all murders.
It was on Saturday that police registered Jolly's arrest in the death of two-year-old Alphine, who is the daughter of her present husband Shaju’s and his former wife Cily. Following which, she was produced before the Thamarassery First Class Judicial Magistrate court in the Alphine death case on same day and was remanded to judicial custody.
On Tuesday, police sought Jolly’s custody in the same case and the court granted four days. Raising objections to police custody, Jolly’s lawyer pointed out that she was not taken Coimbatore and Kattappana for evidence collection. This despite her custody being extended in the Roy Thomas case on October 17 for the same.
Reports say that in the coming days she may be taken to Coimbatore as police suspect that cyanide, which was allegedly used for the murders, was brought from a factory there. Kattappana is Jolly’s hometown, where her parents reside.
Presently, three murder cases have been registered against Jolly – for the death of her former husband Roy Thomas, Cily and Alphine.
Two-year-old Alphine choked to death in 2014 after she ate bread. Jolly allegedly poisoned the food, according to the police. Alphine's elder brother gave a statement to police that he saw Jolly passing on the bread piece to feed Aphine. Jolly also reportedly confessed to police that she killed Alphine. Cily, Alphine's mother died two years later in 2016. Jolly is also alleged to be behind the murders of Roy’s parents – Tom Thomas and Annamma – and his maternal uncle Mathew Manjadiyil.