Jolly Joseph – A few months ago this name would not have evoked any reactions, but today it sends chills down everybody’s spine. A woman murdering six of her family members over the span of 14 years is as dramatic and cruel as it can get. With the media studying every aspect of Jolly’s life and interviewing everyone who has crossed Jolly’s path, the Koodathai murder case is definitely going to be a case study for all future psychologists, police officers, and investigative journalist. Moreover, a plethora of movies and TV series are going to be inspired by Jolly and her actions.
However, this is not the first time that Keralites has seen a criminal mastermind. Let us refresh our memory.
Where is Sukumara Kurup?
A criminal who has evaded the justice system for over 3 decades, Sukumara Kurup is a classic example of how greed and cunningness can bring out the worst even in an ordinary man. Sukumara Kurup killed a man who resembled him so that his family could claim an insurance worth ₹ 8 lakh. Investigations have brought forth the fact that at the time of murder, neither Sukumara Kurup nor his family was in dire need of money and it was nothing but pure greed that led him to commit this cold-blooded murder.
Every now and then, the police receives a tip-off about Sukumara Kurup being spotted. The brilliant criminal that he is, Sukumara Kurup is always ahead of the entire justice system. Today, Sukumara Kurup is an enigma in every Keralite’s heart. Some may even nurse a respect or admiration for his brilliance. With Dulquer Salman signing up to play Sukumara Kurup in his upcoming movie, we cannot help but wonder if this heartless criminal will watch his biopic from some corner of the world.
The Crippled Criminal
A year before the Nirbhaya case, an incident of a similar intensity and cruelty happened down south in God’s own country. Soumya, a sales girl from Ernakulam, was brutally raped, robbed and killed by Govindachamy, a crippled beggar. Soumya was the sole breadwinner of her family and on that particular day she was going to her home for her upcoming betrothal ceremony.
What followed, shook our conscience more than the murder itself. One of the best criminal lawyers in India appeared for Govindachamy and the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence given to him by the Kerala High Court to a 7-year imprisonment. Somehow, the disability of this criminal balanced the brutality of his crime.
Another interesting or rather frightening fact about this case is that B.A Aloor was Govindachamy’s advocate and he is the same person who is going to appear for Jolly (the Koodathai killer). Will Jolly walk free like Govindachamy after killing 6 people in her own family?
Kerala Version of Mary Maloney in Lamb to the Slaughter
Lamb to the Slaughter is a short story by Roald Dahl where Mary Maloney kills her unfaithful husband with the leg of a lamb, cooks the murder weapon and feeds it to the detectives who comes to investigate the case. Dr. Omana Edadan reminds me of Mary Maloney. In 1996, Dr. Omana killed her estranged lover, chopped him into pieces, packed him in a suitcase and set forth to Kodaikanal with the suitcase to dispose it off. Unfortunately for her, for Dr. Omana, the police received a tip-off and she was jailed. Later she managed to secure a bail and fled the country. Even today, no one knows where she is and she figures in Interpol’s most wanted list.
Unrequited love can sometimes be dangerous, can’t it?
Ripper Antony of Thrissur
Antony Hardy is a serial killer from England and his signature murder style was to dismember his victims. Back home, we too had a version of Antony – Ripper Jayanandan from Thrissur. He is in police custody for seven gruesome murders. He was given the death sentence for his deeds but the drama did not end there. He escaped the heavily guarded Poojapura Central Jail. He tied bedsheets from the prison store to create a rope that he used to scale the prison wall. Though it was a huge embarrassment for Kerala police, they did manage to apprehend him within a few months.
Kalabhavan Mani’s Character in Sethuramaiyer CBI was inspired from Ripper Jayanandan.
Hope this doesn’t give you sleepless nights!
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