Daijiworld Media Network - Adoor (SHP)

Adoor, May 25: In a shocking incident, a man reportedly hired a poisonous cobra to bite and kill his 25-year-old wife while she was asleep, earlier in the month. The investigations conducted by the police were presented with suspicions raised by the family against the husband since it was the second attack on the woman in three months.

Following the investigations by the crime branch, a man identified as Sooraj was arrested. The accused is a private bank employee from Adoor in Pathanamthitta district. A snake-catcher who supplied the cobra and Russell's viper, both highly poisonous, was also arrested and booked for killing the woman.

Parents of the woman killed approached the police calling their daughter's death on May 7 strange as she had suffered a snake bite barely a couple of months ago.

The couple were married for around two years and some financial angle was suspected behind the shocking death of the woman. The police maintained that the accused, Sooraj had received 98 sovereigns of gold jewellery as dowry.

"One guy who provided the snakes and the husband who initially attempted to kill his wife with a poisonous snake and later succeeded in killing her, in the same manner, have been arrested," Kollam police chief K S Hari Sankar told media persons here on Sunday, May 24.

Police found digital evidence on the man's mobile phone where it was noticed that he had been watching snake-related videos on YouTube since the last three months, to possibly get trained in handling them.

The official also stated that Sooraj bought Russell's viper from Suresh and on March 2 attempted to kill his wife at their house in Adoor using the poisonous reptile.

The woman was hospitalised and discharged on April 22 after which she had returned to her parent's home in Anchal in Kollam district. Sooraj once again contacted Suresh and purchased an Indian cobra and on May 6 night he had dropped it on his wife while she was sleeping.

"He watched the snake bite her twice. On May 7 morning, he got out of the room as usual and her mother found her unconscious," the police said, referring to his interrogation.

The victim was declared dead on arrival at a hospital while the snake found in the room was later killed. Police said the snake catcher had been involved in the illegal trade of the reptiles and the forest department which has been informed will file a separate case.