Kochi, February 24 – What was initially suspected to be a railway accident near Vyttila in Kerala has now been confirmed as a murder case, with police arresting a man from Kochi for allegedly killing a 35-year-old woman and dumping her body on an abandoned railway track in an attempt to make it appear as a suicide.
The accused, identified as Shaji, was taken into custody by the Maradu police after crucial CCTV footage and forensic evidence pointed to his involvement.
The victim, Sudha Baby, a native of Kottayam, was found dead on the railway track beneath the Vyttila flyover late at night.
The body was first spotted by the driver of the Amrita Express train passing through Vyttila.
Police, who arrived at the scene around 4 a.m., initially thought she may have fallen from a train.
However, injuries to her head and face, along with visible bloodstains, were inconsistent with a train accident, raising suspicions of foul play. Inquest proceedings further strengthened the conclusion that it was a homicide.
Investigators recovered mobile phones from the scene, and SIM card details helped identify the victim.
CCTV visuals soon emerged as the decisive breakthrough.
The footage showed Sudha arriving near the track around 11:30 p.m. in a car with a man.
The two were seen walking towards the area beneath a nearby bridge.
Later footage captured the man, identified as Shaji, returning alone to the car.
Notably, bloodstains were visible on his shirt.
Police believe that a verbal altercation between the two escalated into murder.
After killing her, the accused allegedly placed the body on the railway track to make it appear as though she had died by suicide, possibly by jumping in front of a train.
However, his plan failed as the body was left on an abandoned Ernakulam-Kottayam line that does not have regular train services.
Within hours of the body being discovered, police traced the vehicle seen in the footage and identified the suspect.
Shaji was subsequently detained for questioning and formally arrested.
During the questioning, he admitted to committing the crime.
The crime scene, an area beneath the Vyttila overbridge, is dimly lit at night despite the presence of several nearby establishments.
