Woman arrested for ‘poisoning’ male friend with weedicide

 

By Sumesh Rajan | August 2, 2025

Kothamangalam, Kerala, INDIA: A 30-year-old woman from Cheladu near Kothamangalam has been arrested for the alleged murder of her male friend by poisoning. The deceased, identified as Ansil (38), a resident of Mathirappilly, died at a private hospital in Aluva on Thursday night (July 31), allegedly after consuming paraquat, a highly toxic weedicide.

According to the police, the woman, identified as Athena (also referred to as Adeena in some reports), had been in a strained relationship with Ansil. Although they had been close for some time, recent disputes had caused friction between them. Ansil, who was reportedly married and had a criminal record, had been pressuring Athena to continue their relationship despite her attempts to distance herself. She had even filed multiple complaints against him in the past, say the police.

On the night of July 30, Athena allegedly invited Ansil to her residence, a secluded house where she lived alone. Police suspect that paraquat was administered during this meeting. It remains unclear whether Ansil consumed the poison voluntarily, under duress, or if it was forcibly given to him while he was intoxicated. Officers are also probing whether a suicide pact had been suggested by the accused as part of a deception.

By the early hours of July 31, Ansil began experiencing severe discomfort and contacted his relatives. Athena reportedly informed his family that he had attempted suicide. He was rushed to Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva, where he later succumbed to the poison.

Crucially, before his death, Ansil gave a dying declaration to his family, friends, and police, naming Athena as the one who gave him the poison. He allegedly told a relative in the ambulance that she had "cheated" him and deliberately administered the substance. The police recovered a bottle of paraquat from Athena’s residence and confirmed that she had recently purchased it.

Investigators are also exploring whether Athena acted alone or had accomplices. They revealed that she had previously been in other relationships and is currently involved with another man who is presently in jail and expected to be released soon. This angle is being examined as a possible motive behind the alleged murder.

Athena was taken into custody, interrogated, and subsequently confessed to the act, according to police sources. She was formally arrested on Friday under Section 103 (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She was produced before a local court and remanded in judicial custody.

Police have drawn parallels with the notorious Sharon Raj murder case, where convict Greeshma used paraquat to poison her lover — a detail that has brought renewed attention to the dangerous accessibility of such toxic substances.