The prime accused in the Attappadi double murder case was arrested in West Bengal.
The accused has been identified as Provat Das, 36, a native of West Bengal. Police said Das confessed to killing Pranitha, 25, and her daughter Johitha, 4, but claimed during questioning that the woman was not his wife and the child was not his daughter.
Das told investigators that he had known Pranitha for only about two months, according to police. Police had initially suspected that Das had killed his partner and her child before fleeing Kerala. Investigators traced his movements and alerted police in West Bengal. A three-member team led by Agali sub-inspector H Harshad travelled to the state and apprehended Das with the assistance of local police. The police are now questioning him to establish the motive behind the killings and determine the exact sequence and location of the murders. The postmortem examination indicated that Pranitha died from a fatal head injury, while Johitha was strangled. Police suspect that the bodies were subsequently dismembered before being dumped in the river.
PALAKKAD: The prime accused in the Attappadi double murder case was arrested in West Bengal by Agali police on Tuesday, days after the bodies of a woman and her four-year-old daughter were found dumped in the Bhavani river.
The investigation is being conducted by a special team headed by Agali DSP R Ashok.