Two Kerala women killed in US, mutual friend arrested; union minister steps in to repatriate bodies
PTC News Desk: Two friends from Kerala were found dead in the US in separate incidents on August 28 with their common friend arrested in connection with their deaths, according to police and relatives.
The victims have been identified as Anjana Hari, 35, a native of Thrissur, and Ann Mary Mathew, 40, from Thiruvananthapuram. Their common friend, Anila, 32, originally from Kottayam, has been arrested in connection with the deaths.
The motive behind the killing has not been ascertained yet.
According to the people privy of them, three of them had spent the previous day together and celebrated Onam before they went for a movie.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi, who is helping arrange the return of the two women’s bodies to Kerala, said US authorities have officially treated the deaths as homicides. He added that the exact motive and other details will become clear only after the US investigation is completed and official reports are released.
What happened?
According to police, around 12 noon on August 28, officers received information about a hit-and-run incident in a parking lot in Milpitas. Witnesses said a blue SUV left the area immediately after the collision.
Police found a badly injured woman at the scene. She was declared dead there. Officers later found a blue SUV in a nearby parking lot that matched the description given by witnesses. The vehicle had major damage consistent with the crash.
Police arrested the 32-year-old driver from Milpitas. The authorities did not publicly identify the woman, but her family identified her as Anila.
The woman who died in the crash was identified as Anjana.
Her relatives in Kerala said the family was initially told that Anjana had been seriously injured in an accident and taken to hospital. They later received the news that she had died.
Second woman found dead in San Jose
The second victim, Ann, was found dead inside her apartment in San Jose. Her relatives alleged that she had been stabbed before Anila reportedly crashed her car into Anjana in Milpitas.
According to the family, Ann’s husband, Jacob, went to the apartment after hearing about Anjana’s death and found his wife dead.
Police have not yet established the full circumstances of Ann’s death or clearly explained how the two incidents are connected. The investigation is still underway.
Some relatives have claimed that Anila had recently lost her job in the US, while Ann had obtained a job and work permit around two weeks before the incident. However, authorities have not confirmed any link between employment or financial problems and the deaths.
- With inputs from agencies
