Kerala man drowns after saving wife

Newlywed couple were returning home when their boat capsized

In starkly contrasting incidents on Monday and yesterday, a young Keralite married only 40 days ago, saved his wife from drowning before he himself drowned in a boat tragedy, while a middle-aged man hacked his wife to death, suspecting infidelity.

The boat in which A. Akhil, 27, his wife Unnimaya, 20, and Akhil’s sister’s husband Rajiv, 27, were travelling in, tipped over at Thottapally near Alappuzha on Monday afternoon.

The three were returning after a visit to Unnimaya’s home, and had travelled up to the ferry on a new bike they received as a wedding gift.

While crossing the Thottapally canal the boat capsized, throwing passengers into the water.

Akhil managed to get hold of Unnimaya, who did not know how to swim, and put her back onto the overturned boat.

Some local residents then came by boat and took Unnimaya to safety.

Rajiv swam to the shore and people gathered on the shore were expecting Akhil to also swim to safety, but he could not make it and drowned.

Akhil had a stint abroad before returning to Kerala, and was engaged in aluminium fabrication work.

In sharp contrast to Akhil’s act of love, a 48-year-old man in Kunnamkulam near Thrissur, identified as Panangad Prathish, allegedly hacked his wife Nisha, 33, to death yesterday morning.

It is believed that Prathish committed the crime in the early hours of yesterday, suspecting his wife of infidelity. He then surrendered to police.

At the time of the crime, the couple’s 13-year-old daughter and Prathish’s mother were in the house. Prathish had been working in Saudi Arabia and had returned home only three months ago.