By Sumesh Rajan | October 15, 2026
Kollam, Keralam, INDIA: A 48-year-old woman accused of strangling her husband to death with a belt over a property dispute faced public outrage when police brought her to their residence in Kundara, Kollam district, for evidence collection on Wednesday, October 14. Angry residents hurled rotten eggs and shouted abuses at the accused, forcing a large police contingent to intervene and escort her into the house.
The accused, identified as Lekha Mary (48), was arrested in connection with the murder of her husband, Raju Edward (56), a resident of Vellimon in Kundara. According to police, the murder took place in the early hours of October 3, 2026, following a dispute between the couple over property.
Investigators said Lekha allegedly strangled Raju by tightening a belt around his neck and subsequently attempted to portray his death as a natural occurrence.
Following the incident, Lekha, with the assistance of Raju's brother Baiju, who lived nearby, rushed him to a private hospital in Kundara. However, doctors declared Raju dead on arrival.
Lekha initially claimed that her husband had suddenly collapsed while attempting to get out of bed. Hospital authorities, however, became suspicious after noticing marks around his neck and alerted the police. Relatives also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his death.
A subsequent post-mortem examination revealed that Raju had died due to constriction of the neck, strengthening suspicions of foul play.
Based on the medical findings and preliminary investigation, Kundara police took Lekha into custody for questioning. During interrogation, she allegedly confessed to strangling her husband with a belt following a property-related dispute.
Police subsequently recorded her arrest and launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder.
On Wednesday, October 14, investigators brought Lekha back to the crime scene as part of the evidence collection process. However, news of her arrival drew a large gathering of residents, who expressed anger over the alleged murder.
As police attempted to escort her into the house, several people in the crowd shouted abuses and hurled rotten eggs towards her. The situation briefly turned tense, prompting police personnel to intervene and ensure her safe passage into the premises.
Police are continuing their investigation to establish the sequence of events leading to the murder and examine the property dispute believed to have triggered the crime.
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