Kozhikode: In the much sensational Kerala serial killings case, the court on sent the main accused Jolly Joseph to seven days in police custody. Joseph was arrested by the police in connection with the death of her first husband following the consumption of cyanide-laced food in 2011. According to a report by news agency PTI, Joseph, her close friend MS Mathew, and Prajikumar, a goldsmith, were produced before the Thamarassery judicial magistrate court, which remanded them to police custody till October 16. Joseph is also the prime suspect in six mysterious deaths in her family.

A huge crowd, which had gathered in front of the court premises, booed the three accused when they were produced. Police officials in large numbers were also deployed to avoid any untoward incidents. While being taken to the court, Prajikumar told the media that he was innocent and he had given cyanide to Mathew for killing rodents.

On Wednesday, Elsamma, wife of the uncle of Jolly's first husband Roy Thomas (who was murdered by Jolly with cyanide), told the media that with reports now surfacing linking Jolly to several other murders, she suspects her involvement in two deaths in her family - that of her son Sunish who died in a bike accident in 2002 and his cousin Vincent who was found hanging.

In their custody application, the police has listed four reasons, including Roy Thomas's addiction to liquor and blind faith in superstitions that prompted Jolly to eliminate him. The three are being questioned by the police.

Jolly and her two accomplices, who helped her by supplying cyanide, have been arrested for plotting the murder of her first husband Roy Thomas and at present this is the only case that has been registered by the police probe team. Kerala police chief Loknath Behra said he is determined to unravel the case. "First, let us get the custody of Jolly and then things will be decided," Behra told news agency IANS.

Eight years after Roy's death, Jolly and two others were arrested on October 5 as police began a probe on the basis of a complaint received from Roy's brother.

Investigations into the death of five others members of the family between 2002-16 -- Roy's mother Annamma, father Tom Thomas, Annama's brother Mathew, one year old Alfine and her mother Sili are also on. Jolly married Roy's relative Shaju in 2017, whose wife and daughter died in 2016.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the case, has been expanded with totally 35 officers. The overall supervision will be in the hands of Northern range IGP Ashok Yadav.

The first in the family to die in 2002 was Thomas' wife and Jolly's mother-in-law Annamma, a retired teacher. She was followed by Jolly's father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, their son and Jolly's husband Roy Thomas also died, followed by the death of Roy's maternal uncle, Mathew, in 2014. A two-year-old child of Sily, a relative by marriage, died the following year, while Sily herself died in 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)