NAMAKKAL: A 40-year-old history-sheeter slit a 75-year-old woman's throat after she stopped him from kidnapping his stepdaughters in Namakkal district. Angry locals subsequently stoned him to death in front of policemen. The incident took place in the wee hours on Saturday at Gurusamypalayam, near Rasipuram.
According to police, Vijayalakshmi married Samuvel of Dharmapuri after the death of her first husband Ravi. Her three daughters Vasuki, Divya and Vasanthi, born to Ravi, were living with their grandmother Dhanamamal at Gurusamypalayam.
On Friday night, Samuvel went to Dhanammal’s house with heavy weapons and acid bottles and threatened her to send the three girls with him. But the old woman refused.
Hearing the heated argument between them, people thronged in front of the old woman’s house and tried to rescue her from him. However, Samuvel threatened them with weapons and acid bottles before turning to the woman and slitting her throat with a knife. He also poured acid over her, killing her on the spot.
On seeing this, the people who had gathered there started pelting stones on him. Based on a tip-off, local police rushed to the spot. But they were unable to control the situation. Samuvel threw acid bottles at the crowd, leaving more than 15 people including a few cops injured.
Several locals surrounded Samuvel and attacked him with huge stones in front of the police personnel. Samuvel died on the spot.
Namakkal Superintendent of Police (SP) Ara Arularasu reached the spot soon afterwards and initiated a probe.
Dhanammal and Samuvel’s bodies were sent to Rasipuram government hospital for post-mortem.
Arularasu told Express that preliminary investigations revealed that several cases were pending against Samuvel in many police stations including in Dharmapuri district. Cases were registered under Sections 326 (A) (Punishment for acid attacks), 302 (Punishment for murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC against Samuvel.
Police have also registered cases against a few people involved in the stone-pelting incident under Sections 302 and 307. Further investigations are on.