As the year concludes, we look back at some of the most chilling cases that shook TN. The horrific acts dominated conversations online, at homes, tea stalls, and workplaces
May 28
Man kills wife & 2 kids, dies by suicide
Chennai: A 40-year-old techie from Chennai suburbs allegedly killed his wife and two kids with an electric saw before putting himself under the saw on May 28. Police said a suicide note retrieved from the house suggests that he took the extreme step due to mounting debts. The man identified as Prakash stayed in the house with his wife Gayathri and two children Nithyashree and Harikrishnan 9. Police said they found a document about Rs 3.5 lakh debt.
Sept 2
Boy killed by classmate’s mom
Karaikal: A 13-year-old boy, a Class VIII student from Karaikal, was murdered by his classmate’s mother as he performed better than her daughter in academics. J Sahayarani Victoria (42), the accused, spiked soft drinks and asked the school’s watchman to give them to the boy by falsely introducing herself as the boy’s mother on September 2. The boy consumed the soft drink and fell sick. He threw up when he reached home and told his parents what happened at the school. He was rushed to Karaikal Government Hospital, where he succumbed the next day. The parents accessed the school’s CCTV footage and identified the woman.
Oct 13
Stalker pushes college student in front of train
Chennai: A 20-year-old college girl was killed by a man who allegedly pushed her in front of a moving train at St Thomas Mount Railway Station on Thursday. The girl, M Sathya of Alandur, was waiting to board the Chennai Beach-bound train when the 31-year-old accused pushed her by allegedly tripping her leg. The girl died on the spot, the police said. The second-year college student, who got engaged last month, comes from a family of police personnel. According to the police, the accused was identified as D Sathish of Alandur, a class VIII dropout. His father Dayalan is a retired sub-inspector of the police. Adding to the tragedy, Sathya’s father Manikam died by suicide the next day.
March 21
Eight held for raping woman
Virudhunagar: Virudhunagar police arrested eight people including four schoolboys on March 21 for raping a 22-year-old woman by threatening to publish her videos online. The accused were identified as Hariharan (27) and S Junaith Ahamed (27), local DMK functionaries, and Praveen (21), Madasamy (37), two Class XII boys and two minors. Police sources said the victim and Hariharan were coworkers and were in a relationship. Hariharan had secretly recorded their intimate moments and shared them with his friend Junaith, who in turn shared it with his driver Praveen and four schoolboys. The victim approached Madasamy (37), an acquaintance, to help her, but he too threatened her with the video and raped her.
July 31
Man dumps wife’s body near Kona falls
Vellore: Police arrested a man for killing his 18-year-old wife and disposing of her body near Kailasa Kona Falls near Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in June. Madhan, and his wife Tamizhselvi, newlyweds, had gone to the waterfalls on June 25, but only Madhan returned. Although Madhan was questioned and let go by the police, the case made headway only after Tamizhselvi’s parents filed a habeas corpus plea in Madras HC. Madhan was detained and he confessed to killing his wife and disposing of the body near the waterfalls.
June 13
Intercaste couple hacked to death
Thanjavur: An intercaste couple was hacked to death by the woman's brother and his brother in law, five days after they got married, near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur on June 13. S Saranya (24), of Thulukkaveli village near Kumbakonam, who was working as a nurse in Chennai, had married V Mohan (31), of Ponnur near Tiruvannamalai district, after dating for five months. However, Saranya's brother S Sakthivel (31) wanted her to marry his brother-in-law Ranjith, of Devananchery in Thanjavur district. The couple was hacked to death by the two when they accepted an invite by Sakthivel and came to his house for a family reception.
