Pathanamthitta: Police on Thursday recorded the arrest of a woman, who was earlier taken into custody over suspicion of murdering her husband in Pathanamthitta. The accused is Afsana Saleem, the wife of the missing man, Naushad (36), a native of Kalanjoorpadam, who was allegedly killed and buried secretly. As per reports, she was arrested in accordance with her confession of the crime. 

However, Afsana's inconsistent statements and blurting out varied versions of how she killed and disposed of her husband's body have put police in a quandary. Without retrieving Naushad's body, police are confused as to how to move forward with the investigation. There is a possibility that a lie-detection test may be carried out to check the veracity of her claims. 

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Woman taken into custody in Pathanamthitta on suspicion of murdering missing husband

Meanwhile, Naushad's parents have stepped forward, claiming that Afsana's behaviour has been consistently erratic. Naushad's father stated that even at home, she frequently changes her statements. He accused her of harming infants, raising serious concerns about her actions. 

Naushad's father urged authorities to assess Afsana's mental state, suggesting that only her parents, with whom he has no contact, might provide insights into whether she has had pre-existing mental issues.

Afsana’s mother-in-law also added to this by saying that Afsana had a negligent attitude towards children and she is in the habit of using abusive words. Afsana has written various love notes to her 'ikka' Naushad on the walls of the room she shared with him. 

The police are yet to make a headway in the case as the accused frequently changed her statement about the place of burial. Although officials had carried out searches at various places Paruthippara in Enathu, they were unable to locate the burial site. It is learnt that a case will be registered against Afsana for misleading the police and tampering with the evidence.

Around a year and a half ago, Naushad had been staying with Afsana in a rented place in Adoor. However, he went missing on November 5, 2021, following which Naushad's parents lodged a police complaint. The Koodal police registered an FIR based on the complaint and initiated an investigation. Subsequently, the police inferred that Naushad was likely killed and his body hidden.

During the course of the investigation, Afsana claimed to have met Naushad a month ago, but CCTV footage of the area contradicted her statement as there was no evidence of Naushad's presence. This led the police to suspect the veracity of Afsana's claims.