KOCHI: A 40-year-old tribal woman, Maya, was brutally murdered by her 33-year-old live-in partner, Jijo John, on Wednesday. The couple resided in Kuttampuzha in Kothamangalam. The accused allegedly smashed Maya’s head, leading to her tragic demise.

Maya, a resident of Elambassery, was a member of an Adivasi community. Following the incident, Jijo John, a native of Malayattoor, was taken into custody by the police.

According to P A Faisal, Station House Officer at Kuttampuzha police station, a heated verbal argument between the couple escalated into a brutal murder.

Detailing the incident, he added, both Maya and Jijo were previously divorced before entering into a live-in relationship.

On Tuesday night, after drinking alcohol together, their argument escalated.

Jijo then left the house but returned later, leading to another heated exchange. In a fit of rage, he slapped and beat Maya in the courtyard, causing severe injuries to her head and face. Sometime later, they both went inside the house.

“Jijo later called an auto-rickshaw to take her to the hospital, fearing the severity of his attack. However, the driver became suspicious when he noticed Maya was unconscious and alerted the neighbors. The locals then informed the police, and we rushed to the spot,” said Faisal.

Jijo was heavily intoxicated when he was taken into custody, he said. He added that a case has been registered under multiple charges, including murder and offenses under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

A local resident said that in recent days, the couple had frequent arguments, allegedly due to Jijo’s suspicions about Maya’s behavior. The couple had a child living with them, but the child was not at home when the incident occurred, he added.