In a disturbing development, police in Kottayam, Kerala, on Sunday, October 19, 2025, confirmed the arrest of a 31-year-old man from West Bengal in connection with the murder of his wife. The accused, Soni S.K., a native of Dharapara in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, is alleged to have killed his wife and buried her body near their residence in Ayarkunnam.
Soni, who worked as a construction laborer in Ayarkunnam with his wife, Alpana Khathoon (28), also from Murshidabad, was taken into custody at a railway station in Ernakulam. Authorities intercepted him as he reportedly attempted to flee back to his hometown.
Suspect’s Failed Cooperation
The investigation began when Soni filed a missing persons complaint on October 17, 2025, claiming his wife had disappeared three days prior. He told police that Alpana had accompanied him to the market on October 14, 2025, but was gone when he returned home later that evening. However, inconsistencies in his story and the lack of any trace of Alpana in local CCTV footage raised police suspicions. When asked to appear for further questioning on Saturday, October 18, 2025, Soni became uncooperative and departed for Ernakulam, intending to board a train to West Bengal with his two children. A timely tip-off led to his detention and subsequent return to Ayarkunnam for intensive interrogation.
During questioning, Soni reportedly confessed to murdering Khathoon at a construction site. He admitted to striking her on the head with an iron rod before strangling her. The motive for the murder, according to police officials, was Soni’s suspicion that his wife was involved in an extramarital affair. Efforts are currently underway to locate and recover the victim’s body.
Police have stated that Soni’s arrest will be formally recorded once Alpana Khathoon’s body is successfully retrieved.