india

Updated: Oct 11, 2019 23:25 IST

Kozhikkode/Thiruvananthapuram: The police on Friday registered five more cases against the prime accused, Jolly Joseph, in the so-called Kerala cyanide killings.

Kozhikkode (Rural) Superintendent of Police KG Simon, who is heading the investigation team, said, “We have filed five more cases today. And all cases will be investigated separately. All cases were registered under Section 320 (murder) and other relevant sections of the IPC,” he said.

So far, only one FIR was registered against Jolly and two of her accomplices in the death of her first husband Roy Thomas. The autopsy reports of Roy, who died in 2011, confirmed traces of potassium cyanide in undigested food. Jolly was believed to have opposed post-mortem then and later concealed the report and forced others to believe that it was a suicide. On last Friday, the police exhumed six bodies and arrested the three a day later.

Another police officer, who is part of the investigation team, said based on the confessions of the accused, the cases were registered at the Thamaraserry and Kodencherry police stations.

Simon said except the death of one-year-old girl Alphine, her second husband Shaju Scaria’s daughter with his wife Sily, Jolly confessed her role in all crimes.

In her confession, Jolly reportedly said the first killing of Annamma Thomas, her mother-in-law, was executed after giving her pesticide-laced food. In all other cases, expect death of Alphine, she said cyanide was used. She said she never fed Alphine and had no idea about her sudden death.

She also told officials that MM Mathew, second accused in the case, allegedly supplied potassium cyanide in two small bottles and she used one and destroyed the other. Officials said they did not get any clinching evidence to corroborate cyanide use as of now.

She reportedly told investigators that Shaju knew about the plot to kill his wife Sily.

Following Jolly’s confession, there are speculations that Shaju will be made an accused in the case and arrested, a police official familiar with the matter said.

The evidence collection that began on Friday morning ended late in the evening after the police covered six key spots related to the murders.

State director general of police Loknath Behera will visit Kozhikkode on Saturday to review the progress of the case. He has called a meeting of all officers who are part of the investigation.

On Friday, he expanded the special investigation team. “The probe is going well and our main task is to collect enough scientific evidences to nail the accused,” he said.