Suspicion was raised by the victim Uthras family as she suffered from a snake bite twice in the last three months. Reports said that  the twenty six year old woman was murdered by her husband, Sooraj who procured the Indian cobra from his snake catcher friend.

The private bank employee and his friend Suresh, the snake catcher were arrested by the crime branch after investigations. Both men who hail from Adoor in the Pathanamthitta district were charged with the killing of the woman. It was also reported that the man supplied two snakes to Sooraj, a cobra and a Russell’s viper.

Uthras parents raised suspicion as their daughter had suffered from a snake bite a couple months ago before her death on may 7th.

Sooraj and Uthra  were married for two years and police suspect a financial angle behind the murder. It was also reported that Sooraj had received a 98 sovereign gold jewellery as dowry.

The Kollam police chief, K.S.Hari Sankar told media person that, “A man who provided the snakes and the husband who initially attempted to kill his wife with a poisonous snake and later succeeded in killing her in the same manner have been arrested.”

Digital evidence was found on the culprits phone as he had been watching snake related videos to train himself in handling them.

On March 2nd, Sooraj bought their Russel viper from Suresh and attempted to kill his wife using the snake. The woman however was hospitalised and is hated in April 22nd after which she had returned to her parents home in Anchal in this district of Kollam.

A second attempt was made by Sooraj who contacted Suresh and purchased an Indian cobra on the 6th of May. He dropped the Snake in his sleeping wife and watched it bite her twice. “On May 7 morning, he got out of the room as usual and her mother found her unconscious,” a police official said, quoting his interrogation.

The victim was declared dead upon arrival while the snake found in the room was killed later.

The snake catcher has been accused of illegal trade in reptiles and the forest department will file a separate case.