Woman found murdered at Cheriyar in Idukki

A 57-year-old woman living alone was found brutally murdered near her house in Cheriyar, under Santhanpara police station limits in Idukki on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Rani. According to police, the victim was headless, her head had serious injuries and her right forearm was completely mutilated.

Since she had not been seen since Sunday, a neighbor who went to her house to inquire found the front door open. A search of the area revealed Rani’s body lying on the road leading to the house.

After being alerted by local residents, the police arrived at the scene along with forensic experts and a dog team and conducted a search. The body was later taken to Idukki Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.

A police team led by Idukki SP A. Naseem, Idukki DySP KR Mohandas and Munnar ASP Amrutha Satheepan inspected the crime scene and collected evidence. Police noted that Rani was earlier accused of murdering her husband Balamurukan in Theni, Tamil Nadu about 25 years ago. After serving her prison sentence, she moved to Cheriyar and has been living there ever since. Her children reside in Munnar.

Police added that two migrant workers living near the victim’s house were missing for the past two days and a search was launched for them.

Published – 10 Nov 2026 21:24 IST