Valanchery gas agency owner’s murder: Wife, friend sentenced to life imprisonment

Manjeri: The District Principal Sessions Court at Manjeri has sentenced a woman and her friend to life imprisonment for murdering her husband Vinod Kumar, a gas agency owner at Valanchery in Malappuram.

Fifty six-year-old Jyothi, alias Jacintha George, who holds an Italian citizenship, and her friend Muhammed Yusuf (51) were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday by Justice M R Anitha. The court also tapped a fine of Rs 42,500 on the culprits.

Vinod Kumar, a gas agency owner, hailing from Ernakulam, was found murdered at his house at Valanchery on October 8, 2015.

Though Jyothi had an Italian citizenship and properties inherited from her step-parents in that country, Jyothi had been living in Kerala for some years after converting to Hinduism and started living with Vinod.

According to police, Jyothi, upset over Vinod's recent marriage with another woman in Kundara in Kollam district, plotted the murder and executed it with the help of their family friend, Yusuf.

She had sought Yusuf's help to commit the crime and offered him money for that. After hacking Vinod to death, Yusuf had made a cut on Jyothi's throat to divert the investigation.

Following the woman's contradictory statements, police grew suspicious and questioned Yusuf in detail following which he spilled the beans.

Jyothi, who actually hails from a family in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was adopted by an Italian couple when she was 10 years old. She is now very rich and owns properties in India and Italy.

Though she had not legally married Vinod, they had been living together for several years and have a 24-year-old son.