Accused wife faces public wrath during evidence collection
Public reaction flares as accused Lekha Mary is escorted for evidence collection in a belt-strangulation murder tied to a property dispute.
Published - October 14, 2026 09:45 pm IST - KOLLAM
Residents hurled rotten eggs and shouted abuses at Lekha Mary, 48, the prime accused in the murder of her 56-year-old husband, Raju Edward, when she was brought for evidence collection on Wednesday.
A heavy police contingent struggled to escort Lekha into the house amid intense public fury.
Raju Edward was killed on October 3. According to police, a property dispute led to the murder, in which a belt was used to strangle him.
In the early hours of October 3, Lekha and Baiju, the victim’s brother who lives nearby, rushed Raju to a private hospital in Kundara, where he was declared dead upon arrival. Lekha initially claimed he collapsed while trying to get out of bed. However, hospital authorities alerted the police after noticing suspicious marks on the victim’s neck, and relatives voiced similar concerns. This prompted the Kundara police to take Lekha into custody, where she subsequently confessed to the crime.
Published - October 14, 2026 09:45 pm IST
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