A 66-year-old woman missing from Kozhinjampara here since Friday (June 10) was murdered by her 19-year-old neighbour during a robbery bid. The police on Saturday recovered burnt remains from near the accused’s house.

The victim is Sarasal of Attayampathy, who lived alone. Following a month-long investigation into a missing complaint by relatives, the police detained her neighbour Udayakumar, who had also been staying away from the area.

He confessed to the crime, the police said. According to the police, Udayakumar lured Sarasal to his house on June 10 to steal her gold nose ring. He hit her with an iron rod and slit her throat with a machete. He then burnt the body in the bathroom and buried the remains outside his house.

The remains will be sent for post-mortem at Palakkad District Hospital on Monday. Udayakumar will be produced in court the same day. The police are investigating whether anyone else assisted him.

Published - July 11, 2026 09:08 pm IST