Youth held for rape, murder

ALAPPUZHA: A police team led by Kayamkulam DySP S P Devamanohar on Tuesday arrested Viswaraj, 22, Vayana, Oachira, in a case related to the rape and murder of a woman.Smitha, 34, daughter of Ramakrishnan Achari, RK Nivas, Kappakassery Olakettyambalam, Mavelikkara, died on Monday while being taken to the Medical College Hospital here. She was found lying unconscious in a paddyfield near her house at Olakettyambalam at 7 pm on Monday. She was returning home after her job at a fancy centre in Kayamkulam. The police said that Viswaraj was staying in a house of his relative near Olakettyambalam.“On Monday when she was returning home, Viswaraj waited on the way and attacked her. In the scuffle, he hit her on the head with a wooden plank. After she fell unconscious, he pulled her to the paddyfield and raped her,” the police said. The local people heard the cries of Smitha and informed the highway police. The police team found her lying naked in the paddyfield. They took her to the Kayamkulam Taluk Hospital. Later, on the way to the Medical College Hospital she breathed her last. The postmortem examination was held at the Medical College Hospital here. The report indicated that Smitha died due to dirt and water in her lungs. Smitha’s husband had died seven years ago. She is survived by father Ramakrishnan Achari, mother Remani and daughter Varsha. The cremation was held on her house premises.The mobile phone of Viswaraj which was found in the paddyfield helped the police catch him on the same day.