CUDDALORE: Police apprehended a daily wage labourer near Chidambaram on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his wife amidst a heated argument. His mother was also taken into custody for her alleged involvement in harassing the deceased over dowry demands.
As per police sources, Silambarasan (35) from Keezhanuvampattu near Chidambaram married Roja (27) from Arasur in Mayiladuthurai on May 4. A few weeks ago, Roja fell ill and a subsequent medical examination confirmed that she is pregnant. Silambarasan raised doubts on the timeline of her pregnancy which resulted in frequent arguments between the couple.
On Monday night, he attacked Roja with a blade and she died on the spot. Killai police arrived at the scene and transferred her body to the Government Hospital in Chidambaram for postmortem.
The police said that the couple was engaged in November 2022 and they eventually got into a physical relationship. Thus, she became pregnant before their marriage, which led to his doubts, added the police.
Silambarasan's mother, Sundari (55), had been demanding dowry as cash and jewellery, and had purportedly subjected Roja to mistreatment since their marriage, said the police.
A separate case for dowry harassment has been filed and Sundari has been detained. As per regulations, the case has been forwarded to the revenue divisional officer for further inquiry, added the source.