Kottayam, Kerala | October 19, 2025 — In a chilling incident reminiscent of the plot of the Malayalam film Drishyam, police in Kerala’s Kottayam district have arrested a 31-year-old man from West Bengal for allegedly murdering his wife and burying her body near an under-construction house where the couple worked.
The accused, identified as Soni S.K., hailing from Dharapara in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, was working as a construction labourer in Ayarkunnam, near Kottayam. His wife, Alpana Khathoon (28), was also employed as a daily wage worker at the same site.
Police said Soni was detained on Saturday evening from Ernakulam railway station, where he was allegedly attempting to flee to his hometown along with his children after filing a misleading missing person report earlier in the week.
The Disappearance and a Dubious Complaint
According to police, Soni filed a missing person complaint on October 17, claiming that his wife had disappeared three days earlier. In his statement, he told police that on October 14, he and Alpana had gone to the local market around 8 a.m. to buy groceries, and that when he returned home after work around 6:30 p.m., she was missing.
His delayed complaint immediately aroused suspicion among investigators. Local officers noted that the husband’s version of events appeared inconsistent, and his behavior during questioning raised further doubts.
“Filing a complaint three days after his wife’s disappearance was unusual, especially since they lived and worked together at the same site,” said a senior officer involved in the probe.
CCTV Footage Raises Red Flags
As part of their investigation, police examined CCTV footage from nearby shops and roads to verify Soni’s account. However, no visuals of Alpana were found from the morning he claimed she had gone missing. Instead, the footage showed only Soni moving around the area.
“When we could not trace the woman in any of the cameras, we began to question whether something more serious had happened,” the official added.
Soni was summoned for further questioning on Saturday at 4 p.m., but he failed to appear. Instead, he reportedly took his children and boarded a train from Ernakulam, allegedly to return to Murshidabad. Acting swiftly on a tip-off, police intercepted him at Ernakulam railway station before he could flee.
The Confession
Once in custody, Soni reportedly confessed to killing his wife. During interrogation, police said, he admitted to strangling Alpana and later bludgeoning her head with an iron rod at a construction site where they worked.
The murder took place on the morning of October 14, the same day he had claimed to be out shopping with her. After killing her, he allegedly dug a shallow pit near the site and buried the body, before returning home as if nothing had happened.
According to investigators, Soni told them he murdered Alpana because he suspected her of having an extramarital affair. “He said he believed she was seeing another man and decided to kill her in a fit of rage,” an officer said.
Recovery of the Body
Following his confession, police took Soni to the under-construction house in Ayarkunnam where the couple had been employed. Around 3 p.m. on Saturday, police teams began digging at the site he pointed out. After several minutes of excavation, the body of Alpana Khathoon was recovered from beneath a layer of soil and construction debris.
The remains were later sent for post-mortem examination at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. Police cordoned off the site for forensic examination, collecting samples and other evidence to support the investigation.
Residents of the area were reportedly shocked by the discovery. “They were quiet people, often seen together on their way to work. None of us imagined something like this could happen,” said a local shopkeeper near the construction site.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
After completing the procedures at the crime scene, police took Soni back to the station, where his formal arrest was recorded. He will be produced before a local court for remand, officials said. His children have been placed under the care of child welfare authorities pending further arrangements.
Police sources said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 302 (murder) and Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence). Investigators are now verifying his confession and cross-checking timelines to establish a complete picture of the events leading to the murder.
A senior police officer said, “This was a premeditated crime. The accused attempted to mislead the investigation by filing a false missing report and planned his escape. The swift action of the police team ensured that he was apprehended before leaving the state.”
A Chilling ‘Drishyam’-Like Plot
The case has drawn comparisons to the 2013 Malayalam blockbuster Drishyam, in which a man goes to great lengths to cover up a killing. Police said Soni’s attempt to stage his wife’s disappearance and hide her body bore eerie similarities to the fictional plot.
However, unlike the meticulous planning depicted in the film, Soni’s actions soon unraveled under scrutiny, particularly due to inconsistencies in his statements and the absence of corroborative CCTV evidence.
Broader Concerns
The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by migrant labourers in Kerala, many of whom come from states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam in search of work. Labour officials and social workers have emphasized the need for better counselling, welfare support, and awareness programmes to help migrant families deal with personal and social stress in an unfamiliar environment.
“Migrant workers often live under immense pressure—economic hardship, long hours, and isolation from their home communities can strain relationships. Unfortunately, in some cases, this leads to violent outcomes,” said a social welfare official in Kottayam.
Investigation Continues
As of Sunday evening, police were continuing to interrogate the accused and gather evidence. They are also tracing the sequence of events leading up to the murder and verifying whether Soni acted alone or had any accomplices. Preliminary findings suggest that the crime was committed single-handedly and that the accused took steps to conceal the body immediately afterward.
Forensic teams are examining the tools used in the murder, and police are also reviewing phone records and communication data between the couple to establish the motive and confirm premeditation.
While the investigation progresses, the crime has sent shockwaves through the local community, which is grappling with the gruesome nature of the killing. The Kottayam district police have assured that a comprehensive chargesheet will be filed promptly once all evidence is collected.
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