NAGAPATTINAM: The body of a 35-year-old missing woman was retrieved from the backyard of her house from Aayakaranpulam Sethi-III village near Vedaranyam on Saturday. Following this, the Vaimedu police arrested the victim’s husband Arulraj on Saturday evening.
During preliminary investigations made by Vedaranyam police personnel, Arulraj claimed that he had buried Sasi’s body as she had committed suicide by hanging following a fight between them over buying a cooking stove on May 25. The accused also told the police that he had buried the body himself as there was no moral support from both their parents.
The couple, natives of Sivaganga district, married about 15 years ago and had settled down near Vedaranyam against their parents’ wishes. Arulraj was running a petty shop near his locality. They have a 15-year-old son.
When Sasi went missing from her residence on May 25, the villagers grew suspicious. Unsatisfied with the reasons given by the victim’s husband Arulraj, they alerted the Vaimedu police.
Following the complaint, on Saturday evening, in the presence of Vasanthi, Vedaranyam’s Tahsildar, the police personnel exhumed the body of Sasi from the backyard of her residence. Subsequently, an autopsy was performed in the same location.
The police registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the locals of Aayakaranpulam Sethi-III village staged a road roko condemning the delay in arrival of the Vedaranyam tahsildar Vasanthi on Saturday evening. However, as soon the Tahsildar arrived, the protest was withdrawn.