The Kerala police on Thursday issued a lookout circular for a 43-year-old man who has been accused of killing his second wife and mother-in-law while out on bail for murdering his first wife.

The manhunt for the accused, identified as Premkumar, began after bodies of 74-year-old Mani and her 40-year-old daughter Rekha were found at their home in Padiyur in Thrissur district. Rekha was married to Premkumar earlier this year, police said.

“We are on the lookout for the accused. The murders were committed either Monday or Tuesday. The autopsy examination planned today will confirm it. Prime facie, the women were killed by strangulation,” said ER Baiju, Kattoor station house officer.

He said that some documents and photos found at the crime scene indicated marital discord. “More details are not known right now. All efforts are being made to nab him.”

Incidentally, Premkumar was out on bail in connection with the murder of his first wife Vidya in Kerala. He had allegedly killed her and dumped her body in Tamil Nadu in 2019. The case was registered at the Udayamperoor police station in Ernakulam district.

Sindhu, sister of Rekha who discovered the two bodies on Wednesday and informed the police, said she became aware of Premkumar’s criminal track record only recently.

“We learnt much later on that he was the main accused in the murder of his first wife. He always seemed like a gentleman. We filed a complaint with the local police after he assaulted my sister once,” Sindhu told a local news network.

Rekha’s family have filed an unnatural death case with the police.