Thrissur police have ramped up efforts to crack the shocking double homicide case that has rocked the quiet village of Padiyur. The victims, 74-year-old Mani and her 43-year-old daughter Rekha, were discovered dead under suspicious circumstances inside their home.

The main suspect is Rekha’s husband, Premkumar, who has since vanished. A lookout circular has been issued against him as authorities intensify the manhunt. Investigators suspect that long-standing domestic issues may have escalated into a violent act of strangulation or smothering.

Adding to the gravity of the case, Premkumar has a disturbing background. He is reportedly accused of murdering his first wife, Vidya, and secretly burying her remains in a forested area. Shockingly, he had remarried Rekha while out on bail for that previous crime.

The gruesome discovery in Padiyur came after neighbours alerted Mani’s other daughter about a strong, unpleasant odour coming from the house. Upon forcing entry, relatives and locals were met with the horrifying sight of the decomposed bodies. Signs of neglect inside the house — like dirty dishes — indicated the deaths had occurred days earlier.

Rekha’s sister had lodged a complaint against Premkumar at the Irinjalakuda women’s police station just days before the murders. During the investigation, photos of Rekha with male acquaintances were bizarrely found stuck onto her clothing. A handwritten letter, allegedly from Premkumar, criticising his wife’s conduct, was also seized from the scene.

Eyewitnesses claimed they saw him at the house on the day of the crime.