Idukki, Kerala— In a startling turn of events, the death of 42-year-old Seetha, initially believed to be caused by a wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Peerumade forest area, is now being investigated as a case of murder. Her husband, Binu, has been taken into custody following an autopsy that contradicted his account.
Seetha was found dead on Friday. Binu, who works as a temporary fire watcher with the forest department, told authorities she had been trampled by an elephant while the couple was collecting forest produce.
However, the autopsy report released on Saturday revealed severe head trauma and multiple rib fractures on both sides of her body—injuries that forensic experts say are inconsistent with those typically caused by an elephant attack.
“The pattern of trauma on her body raised immediate suspicion. It resembled blunt force injuries rather than wounds caused by trampling,” a forest official involved in the preliminary response told IANS.
Binu’s narrative had raised red flags early on. Forest officials who arrived first at the scene reportedly expressed doubts after observing the nature and extent of Seetha’s injuries. Their suspicions were further heightened by inconsistencies in Binu’s version of events.
While Binu initially claimed that the entire family, including their two children, had entered the forest together, police later found discrepancies. During questioning, the children told investigators that only their parents had ventured into the forest early that morning, and they had followed much later.
Authorities believe Binu may have attempted to exploit his familiarity with the forest and elephant behavior to stage the incident as a wildlife-related accident.
Police have launched a full-scale investigation and are continuing to interrogate Binu to determine the motive and circumstances surrounding Seetha’s death. (Source: IANS)
