Kerala nurse, two children killed in UK; husband held: Police
An Indian-origin woman and her two children were murdered inside their apartment in Northampton region of eastern England on Thursday, local police said, adding that the woman’s husband has been detained for questioning.
An Indian-origin woman and her two children were murdered inside their apartment in Northampton region of eastern England on Thursday, local police said, adding that the woman’s husband has been detained for questioning.
Police said the woman Anju, a 42-year-old nurse from Kerala’s Kottayam district, was found with stab wounds at her home in Kettering, 110 kms away from London. Despite their best efforts and that of the paramedics, she died on the spot.
Anju’s six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, who were also found with similar injuries, succumbed later in the hospital, police added.
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“There are no words to describe how upsetting this incident is but I want to reassure the public that we have a team of detectives working on the case, absolutely determined to get justice for this woman and the two children,” superintendent Steve Freeman, local policing area commander for Northamptonshire Police, said.
According to local reports, it was around 11.15am (5pm IST) on Thursday that neighbours heard commotion from the deceased’s apartment and alerted the police.
Freeman said a post-mortem was underway and police have begun a murder investigation. Police also detained Saju (52), the woman’s husband, for questioning. Local reports said he also had some minor injuries.
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Back home in Kottayam’s Vaikom, Anju’s parents said they learnt about the incident through her colleague.
“We have no idea what really happened there. Saju was short tempered but I don’t know how he committed such a horrendous crime,” Anju’s father, P Ashokan, said. He said his daughter left for the UK two years ago and was joined by her husband and children a year ago.
Ashokan also said his daughter would send him money regularly but stopped six months ago. She sounded unhappy over the phone, he said.
Anju’s relatives said she and Saju, who belongs to Kannur, got married in 2012.
“Saju was working in Saudi Arabia for several years and when Anju got a job in the UK, he joined her after taking his two children from their grandparents. Anju was working as a nurse at Kettering general hospital for the last one year. We were later told Saju also got a job as a delivery man,” Padiyoor panchayat member B Shamsuddin said.
Shamsuddin added that the couple got along well and no one heard of any complaints of domestic violence. Anju’s relatives agreed and said they are yet to come in terms with the murder.