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Chemical examination of remains can be done abroad:Ker top cop

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Press Trust of India Kozhikode
Last Updated : Oct 07 2019 | 8:00 PM IST

As chilling details of the deaths of six members of a family over a span of 14 years since 2002 emerged, Kerala police chief Loknath Behera Monday assured the investigating team that chemical examination of the remains could be done abroad.

Eight years after her husband's death following consumption of cyanide-laced food, police arrested prime accused 47-year-old Jolly and two others on Saturday and started investigations into the death of five others of the family.

Kozhikode rural superintendent of police K G Simon told reporters here on Monday that they have also recorded the statement of Shaju, whom Jolly had married in 2017.

As part of the probe, police had exhumed the bodies for forensic examination.

"State police chief had called us and informed that the chemical examination can be done abroad and he would help.Senior officials will reach here soon," the SP said.

Police also said Jolly has been arrested only in the case related to the death of her husband Roy Thomas due to the presence of cyanide mentioned in his post-mortem report.

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For the rest of the deaths, police is yet to identify the presence of cyanide or anything in the forensic analysis which was done after exhuming the remains.

Shaju was questioned for the almost the whole day and his statement recorded.

"We have recorded the statements of Shaju and let him off. We have asked him to inform us in case he travels anywhere," police said.

Asked whether Shaju had any role in any of the deaths, the investigating officer said they have not got any evidence in this regard.

Jolly was arrested in connection with the death of Roy in 2011. The two other accused are M S Mathew (44), a close friend of Jolly, and Prajikumar (48).

Prajikumar had allegedly supplied the cyanide to Mathew who handed it over to Jolly.

For the past two months, a special investigation team, based on a complaint from Roy's US-based brother, has been probing the case of the six deaths that had occurred between 2002 and 2016.

While Annamma Thomas had died in 2002, her husband Tom Thomas died six years later in 2008. Later, their son Roy Thomas died in 2011.

Annamma's brother Mathew died in 2014 and two relatives - Sili and her one-year-old daughter in 2016.

As police found that the deaths were suspicious, the remains of the six were exhumed on Friday.

Police said Jolly, who was a commerce graduate, had claimed she was an engineering graduate and working as a lecturer at the National Institute of Technology (NIT).

Police earlier said Annamma Thomas, the family matriarch, was killed to claim her money, while it is suspected that Tom Thomas, a retired government employee, was eliminated to get more share of the property.

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First Published: Oct 07 2019 | 8:00 PM IST

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