Payyannur death : Shock and tragedy unfold as details emerge

Kannur: The town of Annur (Payyannur) was rocked by the gruesome murder of an unknown woman at Betty Joseph’s house, leaving him in disbelief. What was meant to be a pleasant trip for Betty's family turned into a nightmare when the body of Anila (33), a mother of two, was found by the neighbours, lying in their residence.

Betty Joseph was residing near Shiju's house in Irul before relocating to Annur. Shiju was entrusted to look after Betty's house and feed the pet dogs when the family went on the trip. Despite Betty's repeated attempts to contact Shiju, he remained unreachable. Hence, the neighbours were instructed to keep vigil on the house.

Neighbours reported unusual barking of dogs from Betty's house on Sunday morning. Looking through an open window of the house, they found a woman's body on the floor, and immediately alerted the police.

Meanwhile, Shiju (Sudarshana Prasad - 34), suspected of perpetrating the heinous crime, was found dead in Irul. Shailendra Prasad found his brother’s body hanging from a tree during rubber-tapping.

Betty Joseph, currently away on a cruise organised by a veterans association, is expected to return home soon, shaken by the tragic turn of events.

Anila and Shiju had been schoolmates, with their relationship evolving through social media. Due to family objections, Anila sought to sever ties, a decision Shiju vehemently opposed.

The Pariyaram police has initiated the investigation, with Taliparamba DySP P Pramod confirming the registration of the murder case at Payyanur police station.

Murder was premeditated, says Anila’s brother

Anila's brother, Anish, said that the murder was premeditated. He also mentioned that the clothes Anila wore at the time of her murder were not the ones she had worn when leaving the house.