The investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Smitha, a newly-wed Indian woman from an apartment in Dubai 10 years ago, has received a major boost after the Hurt and Homicide Wing of the Crime Branch (CB) took into custody Ms. Devayani, who is considered the prime witness in the case.
Ms. Devayani, 44, and Sabu Antony, Smitha’s husband and key accused in the case, were reportedly in a live-in relationship before Antony married Smitha.
After getting married, Mr. Antony and his wife reportedly shared the apartment with Ms. Devayani.
Ms. Devayani, who also goes by the name Any Varghese, was picked up from Kannur on Wednesday on her arrival from Kuwait. She has been kept at a secret location under police cover following threats to her life.
She reportedly returned home to surrender after media reports about her caught the attention of one of her colleagues.
She was interrogated by CB SP K.G. Simon and DySP Biju K. Stephen. Her statement will be recorded in front of a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code).
The CB is now verifying Ms. Devayani’s account, and is also planning to subject her to a polygraph test after she volunteered to undergo the test to prove her innocence. Her statement will be shared with the Dubai police, who are yet to reveal the details of a DNA test conducted on a body suspected to be that of Smitha.
The CB officials said Devayani was present in the apartment on September 3, 2005 after which Smitha went missing. She reportedly saw Smitha bleeding and Sabu holding a knife during an altercation in the apartment, and got hurt herself when she tried to intervene. When she returned later in the night, Smitha was missing, the police said. She did not report the incident to the Dubai police as she was threatened by Sabu and had no valid documents. She returned home soon thereafter under amnesty. She then got converted, assumed the name of Any Varghese and flew to Kuwait in 2011 with a passport secured in that name, only to return under amnesty without passport. She then procured a fresh passport and left for Kuwait again in 2013.
