A day after Kerala police arrested a 25-year-old woman on charges of killing her husband, the man was found working as a labourer about 130 kms away.
Afsana and Noushad were living in Adoor with their two kids. In December 2021, the latter's relatives registered a missing complaint after the woman said he was missing for the past one month.
Things went awry last week when Afsana was summoned by the local police at Koodal near Adoor after she claimed to have seen Noushad a few days back.
But on further questioning, she said that she had killed her husband and buried him.
On Thursday, her arrest was recorded and the police dug a few places, including in her house where she claimed the body was buried, but it turned out to be in vain.
As the police were trying to extract more information from Afsana, came the news that Noushad has been traced working as a labourer in Thodupuzha on Friday.
Speaking to the media, Jaimon, a police official attached to the Thodupuzha Police station said this morning he got a call from his friend who runs a shop.
"My friend said he was reading the news about Afsana and recognised Noushad in the picture. Soon I reached the place where he was staying and the landlord said he has gone for work very nearby. I went there, spoke to him and he agreed to come with me," the police official Jaimon said.
On being asked, Noushad said he decided to run away from Adoor after his wife Afsana and few others beat him up.
"I was scared to live with her. Since November 2021, I am living here working as a labourer. I do not have a mobile phone and have no news about Afsana," said Noushad.
Meanwhile, Noushad has undergone a medical checkup as per the police protocol and the Police from Koodal near Adoor will take him to Adoor where the man missing case has been registered.
Afsana continues to be in police custody after her arrest on Thursday night.
(With inputs from IANS)
