Woman forgives husband’s killer

Awoman in Kerala came face to face with one of the people who colluded in her husband’s killing 34 years ago and forgave him, bringing tears to the man’s eyes and also bringing back memories of a murder that remains a mystery for Keralites.

The unresolved part of the murder case is that the main accused, Sukumara Kurup, continues to be absconding — or is perhaps no more — leaving what should have been final closure in the case hanging.

Kurup is accused of plotting the murder of a young medical representative, Chacko, and carrying it out to claim insurance benefits.

His strategy was to murder someone who was his lookalike, burn the body and then get his family members to claim insurance benefits.

Kurup had taken an insurance policy that would give his family a payout of Rs800,000 (Dh42,861) in the event that he lost his life.

Not seen since then

That deadly strategy was carried out on the night of January 21, 1984, a date that is unforgettable for tens of thousands of Keralites and for state police because Kurup has not been seen since then.

Kurup, who was working in the Middle East at the time, plotted with his brother-in-law Bhaskara Pillai — husband of his wife’s sister — and a few others, including his driver Ponnappan. Initially they planned to get hold of a corpse, but then decided to murder someone who looked like Kurup.

On Saturday, Chacko’s widow Shanthamma met up with Pillai who has completed his prison sentence, took his hands in hers and said she had forgiven not only him but all who had conspired to kill her husband.

The meeting was facilitated by two of Shanthamma’s brothers and a priest.