Revenge over cancelled marriage; women torch cop’s bike in Kollam’s Anchal

Anchal, Kollam: Two women were arrested for allegedly setting a police officer’s motorcycle on fire outside his house here, with investigators suspecting the act was driven by resentment over a cancelled marriage proposal.

The accused were identified as Arathy Raj (26), a native of Edappon, and her friend Gayathri Mohanan (26) from Idukki.

Police said Arathy, the prime accused, allegedly attempted suicide by consuming rat poison while in custody and was later shifted to the Parippally Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The incident took place late at night when the motorcycle belonging to Vivek, a civil police officer attached to the Aranmula Police Station, was set ablaze while parked in front of his house in Anchal.

The cops initially had difficulty identifying the culprits because CCTV footage from nearby locations was unclear. However, police traced the autorickshaw used by the women and gathered UPI payment details after finding that the fare had been paid through Google Pay.

The officials collected mobile phone records and later recreated images of the suspects. The autorickshaw driver subsequently identified the women, leading to their arrest.

According to police, Arathy and Vivek were previously engaged to be married, but the wedding was later called off due to certain reasons. The officials believe the attack was carried out out of personal vengeance linked to the broken engagement.

Police said the two women had reached Anchal on Saturday and allegedly hid near a local library before approaching Vivek’s residence at night and setting the bike on fire.

A threatening letter was also left at the scene. Police said the letter mentioned the name of a student organisation in an apparent attempt to mislead investigators and divert the case.

The officials are also examining whether the accused received assistance from any other individuals in planning or carrying out the attack.