Twin murder charges in US leave Anila’s native village in shock

Tazhachavayal, a sleepy village near Erattupetta, is struggling to come to terms with the news that Anila, one of its former residents, has been arrested in the US for allegedly killing two Malayali women in Milpitas, California.For neighbours and relatives, the shock is compounded by the stark contrast between the allegations and the woman they knew. Anila, who hails from Moonnilavu panchayat, was regarded as quiet, soft-spoken and cordial, while her family enjoyed considerable goodwill in the locality.She has been arrested in connection with the deaths of Anjana and Aani at their residence in Milpitas. Those who knew Anila back home say they find it almost impossible to reconcile the allegations with their memories of her. They believed she was leading a happy life in the US with her husband and child, with her parents having joined the family there a couple of months ago.Anila comes from a financially secure family. Her father is a homoeopathic doctor and her mother is a retired cooperative bank employee. She completed her engineering studies at Bharananganam and moved to the US with her husband around four years ago for higher studies and work. She was later employed by a leading private company there. Anila was married into a family in Paingottoor, Thodupuzha. Her only brother, Akhil, is settled in Canada.According to local residents, her parents had travelled to California on June 2 to visit their son and daughter. They were scheduled to return tomorrow when the unexpected developments unfolded. Their phones have since been switched off, and they too are under surveillance amid suspicions of a conspiracy. The family home at Munnilavu is currently deserted.Villagers cluelessMeanwhile, there is no clear answer in the village as to what could have driven Anila to allegedly kill two women with whom she was reportedly close. Anila had reportedly been distressed for several weeks after losing her job, while her friends had secured stable employment. However, people close to the family said they were unaware of any major problems she may have faced at work and found it difficult to believe that the setback could have driven her to such an extreme act.“As far as we know, Anila was close to the other two women. They had gone to the movies together a few weeks ago and even celebrated Onam together only last week. It is really hard to believe that everything could have changed in a single night,” a local resident said.With little known about what transpired between the friends in the days leading up to the killings, the village is left grappling with more questions than answers. Published - August 31, 2026 08:12 pm IST