Pathanamthitta: Janardhanan Nair, a retired postmaster, a resident of Koipram had probably destroyed all evidence and tactically dodged the investigators after allegedly murdering his wife 17 years. The Thiruvalla Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested Nair in the murder case on the basis of his hair strands recovered from the body, officials said.
Nair's wife, Ramadevi was found dead with her throat slit inside her house way back on May 26, 2006. Following the murder, police had took the body into custody and launched an investigation. The post-mortem report revealed that a sharp weapon like a sword was used in the murder. An official said that Nair managed to dodge the police radar initially as investigators focused on Tamil Nadu resident Chutalamuthu and another woman, both of whom used to work as construction workers in Nair's neighborhood and went missing soon after Ramadevi's murder.
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While the investigation was in progress, the woman who lived with Chutulamuthu was traced in Tenkasi. But the investigation revealed that the two were not behind the murder thereby making police suspicious about Nair. Nair, in a bid to mislead the investigators had approached the High Court stating that the investigation in the case was ineffective and that a crime branch investigation was required.
On court directions, the case investigated by the local police was handed over to the Crime Branch. The investigation was led by Crime Branch Detective Inspector Sunil Raj. The breakthrough in the case came through the forensic investigation of the hair strands recovered by the Crime Branch from the body. During the inquest, the police found 36 strands of hair on one hand and 4 strands on the other hand of the body.
The investigation team found that the strands of hair sent by the police for scientific examination belong to the husband Janardhan Nair leading to his arrest. Nair was produced in the District Sessions Court to face trial. Over the motive behind the murder, it is speculated that Nair killed his wife over suspicion of infidelity. Janardhanan Nair's brother is also accused in a murder case.
