Late September, when Jessy’s children who lived abroad couldn’t contact their mother, they realised something was amiss. Jessy and their father, who lived in Kerala’s Kottayam, were estranged and were involved in an acrimonious court case, and the family feared the worst. Days later, these fears were realised — Jessy’s body was found in a gorge some 60 km from home, allegedly dumped there by their father. On October 3, police arrested Kappadakunnel Sam George, 59, for killing Jessy, 49. The estranged couple, according to the police, lived separately under the same roof in Kottayam's Kanakkary village, and Sam was allegedly upset when she questioned him about his relationship with other women. A former IT professional who worked in Bengaluru and the Middle East, Sam had taken up a post-graduate course in tourism and travel management at Kottayam’s MG University, where he allegedly didn’t reveal his marital status. The couple were never formally divorced. According to Kottayam Superintendent of Police Shahul Hameed A, the marital discord has been prevailing between the couple for the last one decade. “Since 2015, they have been living in the same house. The wife lived on the ground floor, while the husband lived on the first. He had a habit of occasionally undertaking foreign trips and befriending foreign women, inviting them to Kerala and telling them about the opportunities here for foreign students,” he said. In January this year, Sam travelled to Tehran where he befriended a woman, and persuaded her to pursue higher education in Kerala. The woman eventually joined a yoga course at the Centre for Yoga and Naturopathy at MG University — the same university where Sam was studying. According to the police, Sam took the woman back to the house, but after strenuous objections from Jessy, the plan was dropped. Meanwhile, a court that was hearing their marital dispute allowed Jessy to stay in their Kanakkary house under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. With Jessy’s petition for maintenance still pending in court, Sam began to fear “that the impending verdict would be in favour of Jessy”, the SP said. Matters came to a head on September 26. During an argument with Jessy, Sam allegedly smothered her, put the body in the trunk of his car and drove it 60 km to Udumbannoor village in Idukki, where he “dumped” the body to a 50 ft gorge. The place, according to the police, had been carefully chosen – allegedly suggesting premeditation. “A few years back, Sam had lived near the place where he chose to dispose of the body of his wife. Last month, he had visited the place, which indicates that the murder was pre-planned,” the SP said. It wasn’t until the next day that the couple’s three children – all working abroad – realised something was amiss and tipped off their relatives, who approached the police. By then, Sam had allegedly dumped his car and fled. Sam – and his Iranian friend – were eventually traced in Mysuru. With the suspect in tow, the police headed to Idukki, where the body was found. “The Iranian woman has no role in the murder. She became aware of it only after police nabbed Sam. She has fully cooperated with the probe,” police said. It was in 2024 that Sam had taken up a course at MG University’s School of Tourism Studies at MG University. According to department head Dr Robinet Jacob, he had told them he was a bachelor. “He studied only for five months and did not even attend the first semester exam. He got admission through the regular entrance exam,” he said. “We never doubted his claim. It was only after his arrest that we knew the family details.” Sam, who belonged to a wealthy family in Uzhavoor, Kottayam, met Jessy – a native of Kaipattorr in Pathanamthitta district - in Bengaluru and married him in 1994. The marriage, according to those who knew them, was neither registered nor solemnised in church because of family opposition. Jessy was Sam’s second wife – his first wife had left him and their toddler daughter. It was during their stay in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia that the couple began to have problems. The couple eventually returned to Kanakkary and bought a new house. They have two sons, both living abroad. Besides, Jessy also helped raise Sam’s daughter and was close to her.
