CHENNAI: Red Hills police detained a 19-year-old man on Saturday for allegedly killing his 18-year-old wife and disposing of her body near Kailasa Kona Falls near Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh over a month ago. According to the police, the man was identified as Madhan, a bike mechanic. On June 25, Madhan and his wife Tamizhselvi, newlyweds, had gone to the waterfalls on a bike, but only Madhan returned.
When the girl’s parents tried to contact her, the phone was switched off and when they contacted Madhan, he gave vague answers. On suspicion, the parents lodged a missing complaint on June 29. Based on it, the police started an investigation and questioned Madhan and his friends, but could not get any leads. They were let go. Tamizhselvi’s parents then filed a habeas corpus petition at the Madras HC, after which the police resumed the probe.
Madhan was detained and he confessed that he stabbed his wife to death after an argument, and disposed of the body near the waterfalls. With the help of CCTV footage, Red Hills police and Narayanavanam Mandal town police found that Madhan had gone to the waterfalls with his wife, but returned alone.
The team combed the area for Tamizhselvi’s body and finally found it on Sunday after Madhan showed the spot. A murder case has been filed at Narayanavanam Mandal town police station and the body will be sent to Chennai after a postmortem examination. The police said they have detained Madhan and will make a formal arrest once the identity of the body is confirmed.
During the preliminary inquiry, the girl’s mother said the dress on the body and the one seen in the footage are the same. A senior police official said, “Since it’s been more than a month after the murder, the body is in a decomposed state. Only after a DNA test can we accurately identify the victim.”