The police on Wednesday arrested one more person in connection with the suspected murder-suicide of two children and their mother at a police quarters in Alappuzha last month.
The arrested was identified as Shahana (24), of Lajaneth ward, Alappuzha municipality.
Najeela (28) and two children—Tippu Sultan (5) and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Malala—were found dead on May 10. The probe revealed that the woman had ended her life after killing the two children. A day after the trio were found dead, the police arrested her husband, Rameez, a civil police officer and booked him under Sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
The police said that Shanana, a relative of Rameez, was in a relationship with him. "She wanted to marry Rameez and tried to persuade Najeela to divorce him. As Najeela did not heed her demand, Shahana threatened to live with him. She visited Najeela at least twice and threatened her including the day before the deaths," said an officer.
Shahana was booked on charges of abetment of suicide.
After the arrest of Rameez, the police said that he was involved in 'blade mafia' business (illegal moneylending). He used to assault Najeela asking her to bring dowry from her family in order to run his moneylending business. The police had also recovered a bag with cash, title deeds, and other documents belonging to Rameez from a relative's home.
Rameez was suspended from the service in May.
