Vyttila woman strangled after fight with male friend; body dumped on railway track, say police

Kochi: Evidence collection was conducted in the case where a young woman was found dead on a railway track in Vyttila. Police said the woman was killed after a brutal assault. The murder occurred during a verbal altercation between the deceased, Sudha, and her friend Shaji. The accused told police that Sudha had threatened to destroy his family.

According to police, Shaji and Sudha had been friends for a long time. During an argument at the spot, Shaji allegedly strangled Sudha to death and then pushed her onto the track. He repeatedly punched her on the face and eyes. She fell onto a nearby stone due to the impact, sustaining a head injury. In his statement, the accused claimed that Sudha’s threat to reveal their relationship and break up his family had provoked him.

The two had arrived by car to the location. After getting out, they walked toward the railway bridge, where the argument escalated. During the quarrel, Sudha allegedly grabbed and threw Shaji’s phone. Enraged, Shaji punched her hard on the face and eyes. Sudha fell over a nearby stone, hitting her head and started bleeding. As she began to cry, Shaji allegedly pressed her face to prevent others from hearing. He then placed her body on the railway track to make it appear as a suicide. However, it was not an active track used by passing trains.

Meanwhile, Sudha’s sister had been calling Shaji. He reportedly told her that Sudha had left saying she was going to commit suicide.

After the body was found, police collected CCTV footage showing Sudha and Shaji walking together. Later visuals show Shaji returning alone, with bloodstains visible on his body.

The body was found around 3 am on Tuesday by the loco pilot of the Amrita Express, who spotted it on a non-operational track near the Vyttila railway overbridge while passing through. Railway authorities were alerted immediately. An immediate examination by Maradu police confirmed that the death was not caused by a train. Signs of a scuffle, bloodstains nearby, and the recovery of a mobile phone from close to the body were crucial clues. Based on these leads, police identified the woman within hours and tracked down the accused.