A 60-year-old man was awarded four life terms by a court here on Friday for murdering four persons of a same family near Pochampalli in 2010.
Sources said that Duraisamy Naidu (80) of Boodanur village, near Pochampalli in the district, had two wives. Through his first wife he had a son Chinnaiyan (60). Vediyappan (45), who was born to his second wife, was married to one Maheswari (40). Duraisamy Naidu was staying with his second wife’s son Vediyappan.
Duraisamy, who had three-and-a-half acres of land, divided the piece and gave 1.5 acres each to both Chinnaiyan and Vediyappan and kept the remaining half an acre for his livelihood.
As Chinnayan insisted his father to divide the remaining half acre too and give his share, Duraisamy Naidu told his sons to divide it equally and share between themselves after his death. However, Chinnaiyan was not satisfied with the idea.
Meanwhile, on December 30, 2010, Chinnaiyan again visited Duraisamy at Vediyappan’s house to seek share from the half-acre land. Maheswari, who was cooking outside the house at that time went inside for some work. Utilising the situation, Chinnayan mixed poison in the food and left the place.
Not aware of Chinnaiyan’s act, Duraisamy Naidu, Vediyappan, Maheswari, Naidu’s grand children Aravind (8), Abinaya (7), Nitheswari (4), Karthika (2) and their relative Chinna Bidda Naidu (70) consumed the poison-mixed food.
All of them fainted on the spot and within a few minutes, Duraisamy Naidu, Vediyappan, Abinaya and Chinna Bidda Naidu breathed their last. Others were rushed to hospital by neighbours.
During investigations it came to light that Chinnayan had only mixed poison in the food. Following this, Pochampalli police registered a case and arrested Chinnayan.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the Krishnagiri Additional District Judge Sampath awarded four life terms and slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 fine on Chinniyan for killing four persons. He also awarded five years imprisonment and Rs 500 for attempt to murder the other four.