Suresh Gopi assures repatriation of two Kerala women's remains after alleged murder in California
Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Monday said every effort would be made to return the bodies of two women from Kerala who were allegedly murdered in California, United States. The minister's assurance came after he spoke with Indian consular officials in San Francisco, which has jurisdiction over California.
The deceased have been identified by relatives as Anjana, a native of Mudikkode in Thrissur, and Ann Mathew, a native of Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram. A third woman, Anila, a native of Kottayam and described as a friend of the two women, is in US police custody in connection with the incident, according to Anjana's relative Vinod, who spoke to the media.
All three women, along with their families, were residing in the same apartment in California, Vinod said. He added that Anjana's family in Thrissur initially received calls on Saturday telling them she had met with a serious accident and had been hospitalised, but they later learned of her death.
Vinod said the families knew Ann through video calls but did not personally know Anila. The three women were working at different jobs. Anjana had moved to the US in 2021 and is survived by her husband, Vijeesh, and their six-year-old daughter. Vinod described Vijeesh as being in shock and struggling to cope while caring for their daughter, and said he had yet to provide complete information as he was still recovering from the trauma.
According to information the families received from people in the US, Anila allegedly stabbed Ann inside their apartment and later rammed a car into Anjana, Vinod said. The exact circumstances and sequence of events remain part of the ongoing investigation, and the motive has not yet been established.
Minister Suresh Gopi confirmed to the media that the deaths had been officially ruled homicides. He said specific motives and detailed investigative findings would become known only after US authorities issue formal reports to India's Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs).
Gopi said he spoke by phone with the Consul General at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco at 7:25 am on Monday. “According to what he informed me, orders have been issued to the funeral homes handling funeral services to proceed with all the required documentation to send the mortal remains to their home country,” the minister said.
He added that it was not yet clear when the bodies would be handed over to relatives in the US, as authorities may retain them for further investigation and formalities. Gopi said he expected an update from the consulate later in the day, and only after that would they know when the remains could be brought back or dispatched from the US.