Three of Family Hacked to Death in Kochi

Kochi: Three members of a family, including two women, were hacked to death, allegedly by their neighbour, at Chendamangalam near North Paravur on Thursday evening.

The suspect, identified as Rithu Jayan, 28, has been taken into custody, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Venu, 65, his wife Usha, 62, and their daughter-in-law Vinisha, 32.

Jithin, 35, Vinisha's husband, sustained severe injuries in the attack and has been admitted to a private hospital in Kochi, police said.

The suspect fled the scene after the incident but was later apprehended by a police team, officers reported.

Preliminary investigations suggest that a personal grudge held by the suspect against the family led to the murders, police said.

The official also noted that Rithu has been named in three criminal cases and is listed as a habitual offender at the Vadakkekara police station.

The bodies have been shifted to the North Paravur Taluk Hospital, police added.