• January 9, 2023

Kettering community pay last respects to Anju: Inquest into deaths of Anju, Janvi, Jeeva begins on Jan 12

By A Staff Reporter

KETTERING Jan 8: The body of Anju (35), who was murdered alongwith her two children Janvi, aged four and six-year-old son Jeeva at their home in Kettering on 15th December, was laid to the public to pay their last respects at the Salvation Army Community Hall in Rockingham Road Kettering NN16 8JU on Saturday 7th January from 10am to 12 noon. The bodies of Jeeva and Janvi were not brought due to the likelihood of it causing more heartbreak to the community.

Community members and the local public arrived to pay their last respects with wreaths. Anju’s colleagues at her work place too joined in.

Members of Kettering Kettering Malayalee Welfare Association and Union of UK Malayalee Association were present during the occasion to pay their last respects.

Hindu, Muslim and Christian chaplains of the hospital alongwith community representatives attended the sombre occasion which was marked with the reading of the Holy scriptures from the Bhagavad Gita and Gurudeva mantras.

Anju’s husband and father of children Saju Chelavalel, 52, is charged with their murder and is due to appear in court in March. Mr Chelavalel was arrested the same day and was charged with with three counts of murder on December 17.

He appeared before Northampton Crown Court on December 21 and is set to appear there again on March 24 for a plea hearing.

Forensic post-mortem examinations conducted in the following days at Leicester Royal Infirmary found Anju and her children died as a result of asphyxiation.

Ahead of his next hearing, Northampton Coroner’s Court will open an inquiry into the deaths on Thursday, January 12.

The coroner will investigate the three deaths before ruling on how the mother and two young children died.

Senior Coroner for the County of Northamptonshire, Mrs Anne Pember, will open the inquest into the deaths of Anju and her children at 9.50am at the Guildhall in Northampton town centre. She will then adjourn the inquest, most likely for a number of months, whilst members of the court collect evidence and she compiles her ruling.

The repatriation can take place once the Coroner is satisfied that the bodies are no longer required for the investigation.