Investigators say the murder and the robbery are closely linked, with money and ornaments missing from a house in Kannur.
| Photo Credit: getty images
A temple priest from Karnataka has been arrested in connection with the theft of gold and money from a house at Irrikur in Kannur, Kerala.
The accused, Manjunath, a native of Singapattanam, allegedly received part of the stolen amount from Darshitha, 22, who was later found murdered in Mysuru.
The police said Darshitha, wife of Subhash of Anchampura house in Chungasthanam, had stolen 30 sovereigns of gold and ₹4 lakh from her husband’s house on August 22. She reportedly handed over ₹2 lakh to Manjunath, claiming it was for rituals “to ward off ghosts.”
The following day, she was found murdered in a lodge at Saligramam, Mysuru, with explosives allegedly detonated in her mouth. The Karnataka Police have arrested her friend Siddharaju in connection with the murder.
The theft occurred when Subhash’s mother, Sumathi, and brother Suraj were away. The robbers used a duplicate key to enter the house. Initially, the police summoned Darshitha for questioning in the robbery case, but she had left for Karnataka.
Investigators said the murder and the robbery are closely linked, with money and ornaments missing from the Irrikur house.
Darshitha, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, had earlier misled the family and the police about her whereabouts before her death.
Published – October 03, 2025 11:25 am IST
