CHENNAI: Four days after a woman was found murdered with severe head injuries in her house and her husband left gagged in an unconscious state in the bathroom in Vadapalani, the city police have arrested the husband. The police claimed Prabhu had killed his wife and stage-managed a case of robbery with the help of his friend Manoj. Prabhu had, in fact, planned to kill his wife Gnanapriya since they were having constant fights over being childless.Gnanapriya, 26, was found dead in her house at South Sivan Koil Street on April 5 with her hands and legs tied up. Her husband Prabhu alias Bala Ganesh, a temple priest, was found gagged and lying unconscious in the bathroom.
Prabhu had told police that two men entered the house around 1.30 am as he was going to the bathroom (located close outside the house) and hit him with an iron rod. He also said the robbers had killed his wife to loot jewels.However, police said the needle of suspicion pointed toward Prabhu, as his statements were found contradicting. “He had claimed to have suffered a seizure on Thursday morning. But the doctor, while conducting a medical examination, had denied it,” said an investigating officer.Police said their enquiries revealed that the couple were having serious fights over being childless even six years after the marriage. “Over this issue, Prabhu decided to eliminate his wife. He sought help from his friend Manoj,” said the officer.
Manoj, a resident of Kattupakkam, is also said to be working as a priest in a temple in the city.
“After Prabhu hit his wife fatally with a hammer around 12.30 am, he called his friend Manoj who came on a bike and took his wife’s jewels around 2.30. Later, as per instruction, Manoj tied up Prabhu’s hands with a piece of cloth and sprinkled water on him as part of the drama stage-managed as a case of robbery.”
The incident came to light when the owner, who lives in the opposite house, came out at around 6.15 am and found the door of Gnanapriya’s house latched from outside and also found Prabhu on the floor in the bathroom situated outside the house very close to the entrance.
Prabhu was taken to the government hospital where he was undergoing treatment and was discharged next morning. “He kept asking for his wife throughout the night, but since the doctors said his condition was critical we waited till Friday morning to inform him that his wife had died,” said Chandru, Inspector in the Vadapalani station. The Vadapalani police arrested Prabhu and Manoj on Monday and both have been remanded to judicial custody. Police also recovered 18 sovereigns of gold from Manoj’s house, which was hidden under an idol. The police also said that two days ago, Prabhu tried to murder his wife but the plan failed since she was awake.