Oman crime: Linson could not have killed our daughter, says Indian nurse’s family

Muscat: “We firmly believe that Linson Thomas is innocent. We consider him as son, not as son-in-law. We have lost our daughter. If he is released a day earlier, we would be grateful to everyone. We know that he will not do that.”
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These were the words of Robert A, father of Chikku Robert, the Indian nurse who was found dead in her apartment in Salalah on April 23. Linson is under police detention in Salalah after Chikku was found dead in her apartment.
“We know that they loved each other very much. Every Friday they used to call us together. Linson is like a son to me. As I have two daughters, we used to love Linson like our elder son. We don’t believe that he can kill her,” Robert, who is knocking the doors of Indian government officials and meeting central ministers to facilitate the speedy release of Linson, said.
Chikku, the Badr Al Samaa nurse from the south Indian state of Kerala, was found dead in her apartment with stab marks on her body, late at night on April 20.
She was supposed to be on duty by 10pm, but as she did not turn up for work, Linson, her husband, who is also working in the same hospital, went to the apartment to look for her, where she was found her lying dead.
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Mother bedridden
“After Chikku’s death her mother is mentally depressed and is also bedridden. Somehow, we completed Chikku’s funeral. I sent back Chikku’s younger sister to Bangalore to continue her studies. Now, we are alone. Daily, I go to meet politicians and government officials to speed up Linson’s release,” Robert added.
Chikku and Linson had married in last October and she was five months pregnant.
Liju Thomas, Linson’s brother, told Times of Oman they too believe that Linson was not capable of murdering Chikku.
“It was a love marriage. They were seen always happy. None of us have any doubt that Linson will do it. He won’t. He is innocent,” Liju said. Liju was working in Nizwa and had accompanied Chikku’s body to Kerala on May 2.
“A day before repatriating the body, Linson was allowed to talk to father over phone. He said that he will be released soon. After that we have not heard his voice. Mother is still down mentally and physically. She has not stopped crying. We can see her praying all the time for the release of Linson,” Liju said.
Liju also added that on that disastrous day when Chikku was found dead, between 7pm and 8pm Linson had called his father to talk about our uncle’s death.
“Linson called uncle’s family in Bombay too,” Liju added.
According to Badr Al Samaa officials, Oman police investigations into the case are on.
“Police is continuing its investigation,” officials from the hospital said.