Six of a family have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a 58-year-old man due to an enmity harboured for more than three decades over a love affair.
Additional District Sessions Court- III, Tirupattur on Friday ordered life imprisonment for C Prabhu (26), his brother C Dhandapani (33), their relative M Ramanathan (27), Prabhu’s father Chinnakannu (60), Chinnakannu’s brothers Raja (45) and Kannayan (50), all residents of Visamangalam here, for murdering Annamalai.The six stabbed Annamalai to death when he was taking part in the funeral procession of his father-in-law Munusamy on September 8, 2010 at Chitteri Junction on Tirupattur Main Road. Following a complaint from Annamalai’s son, Tirupattur taluk police registered a case against the six and arrested them.
The inquiry revealed that the motive behind the murder was enmity between Annamalai and Chinnakannu over a love affair some 35 years ago. Police said, Chinnakannu was in love with his relative Dhanalakshmi. However, she fell in love with Annamalai and they got married. Angered over this, Chinnakannu picked up a quarrel with Annamalai that led to a fisticuff. In the brawl, Chinnakannu sustained injuries and lost his lower lip that resulted in permanent disfigurement.
However, the village elders pacified them and Annamalai paid `14,000 to Chinnakannu for medical treatment. Chinnakannu had then vowed to take revenge on Annamalai for disfiguring his face. Annamalai then left the village with his wife to Bangalore and worked there in a bank as manager.
After Annamalai took voluntary retirement, the family moved to Dharmapuri. The family did not visit the village for 35 years owing to the enmity until the death of his father-in-law. When Annamalai visited the village, Prabhu stabbed him in the stomach with a knife, while the five others of the family caught him.
Annamalai died on the way to the Government Hospital in Tirupattur. The police arrested the six and registered a case against them under 147 (riot), 148, 149 and 302 of Indian Penal Code and filed a chargesheet in the court.
After hearing the case, the Additional District Sessions Court judge sentenced the six persons to life imprisonment.