Man held after 65-year-old found dead in well in Kerala

Guruvayur (Kerala), Jul 12 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 65-year-old woman and dumping her into a well near his rented house at Guruvayur in Thrissur district, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Suresh, a native of Perumbavoor, dumped the unconscious woman into the well after assaulting her, police said. The deceased was identified as Santhanavali (65), a native of Chelakara, who was known to frequent the Guruvayur area. According to police, Suresh, a daily-wage worker, lived in a rented house in an isolated area near the railway tracks. Police said he had brought Santhanavali to his house a few days ago. Investigators suspect that Suresh sexually assaulted the woman. Police said an altercation later broke out between the two, during which Suresh allegedly assaulted Santhanavali, leaving her unconscious. Believing that she had died, he allegedly dumped her into the nearby well, police said. The incident came to light on Saturday after Suresh allegedly disclosed it to one of his friends while under the influence of alcohol. Police were alerted and searched Suresh's rented house. During the search, they found Suresh at the house and took him into custody, officials said. The woman's body was later recovered from the well with the assistance of Fire and Rescue Services personnel, police said. The Guruvayur Temple police registered a case and formally recorded Suresh's arrest. Police are also questioning Suresh's friends as part of the investigation. The body has been shifted to a hospital for postmortem examination, officials added. PTI TBA TBA KH