Statement of slain woman constable's mother recorded

Police Sunday recorded the statement of the mother of a woman police constable who was hacked and burnt to death allegedly by a policeman in broad day light here.

She later claimed the assailant, undergoing treatment for burns suffered in the attack Saturday, had been insisting her daughter to marry him though she was already married and had three children.

Police, however, said the motive behind the brutal killing could be ascertained only after detailed interrogation of the accused and others.

The investigating officer in the case said the statement of the mother of the victim was recorded Sunday.

However, police were yet to take the statement of the accused policeman as he has suffered 40 per cent burns and was undergoing treatment at government medical college hospital at Alappuzha, the officer told PTI.

 

The officer also said the post-mortem report confirmed knife wound and burns to be the cause of death.

In the shocking incident, the 34-year-old Soumya Pushpakaran, a Civil Police Officer (COP) at Vallikkunnam station here, died after she was allegedly hacked and set ablaze in broad day light by Ajas, a policeman attached to the Aluva traffic wing.

Ajas was taken into custody and admitted to the hospital by the police.

Speaking to reporters, Soumya's mother Indira said there were certain financial dealings between the accused and her daughter.

"Ajas had loaned some money to Soumya. But he refused to take back the money and was forcing her to marry him. She was already married and mother of three children. Earlier also Ajas had threatened to kill her," she alleged.

Police, however, said the victim had not not made any complaint about Ajas stalking her.

"We never got any such complaints. Even her close friends or colleagues were unaware of such threats," an official said.

According to police, Ajas had followed Soumya in a car when she was on her way back home after work, knocked her two-wheeler down and allegedly hacked her with a sharp weapon before setting her ablaze after dousing her in petrol.