Kerala: Wife keeps man's body for 3 months

MALAPPURAM: A woman at Kolathur in the district kept the body of her 50-year-old husband in her bedroom for nearly three months in the hope that he would come back to life through sorcery. The police on Wednesday recovered the body of Vazhakkal Seydu who is believed to have died of natural causes. The police who broke open the door of the house on being alerted by the relatives and neighbours found the woman, her son, 21, and daughters aged 17 and 13 praying before the body which was highly decomposed with only skeletal remains. It was covered in cloth. The police questioned the family and released them later.

The incident came to light when a relative came to visit the family but the woman refused to open the door. The relative and neighbours informed the police and a team led by Perinthalmanna inspector Saju K. Abraham found the body. “The woman, who is mentally disturbed, had made the children believe that their father would come back to life. The children too are yet to regain their normal mental condition,” Mr Abraham said. The police and the forensic expert later completed the inquest and sent the body to the Government Medical College, Manjeri, for autopsy.

The neighbours and relatives were not aware of the man’s death as the family led an isolated life. According to the police, the woman and her children spent most of the time near the body.