VILLUPURAM: The Villupuram Fast Track Mahila Court on Friday sentenced three persons for murdering the wife of a Thiru Nagar based banker on August 31, 2015. According to the prosecution, Arul Selvam (59), an Assistant Manager in Punjab National Bank’s Villupuram branch, was living with his wife Kundhavi (54), the victim, and their two daughters Deepika (29) and Keerthiga ( 24) at their house in Thiru Nagar near Villupuram.
While pursuing graduation, Keerthiga fell in love with her senior college mate Dhiwakar (26) of Lakshmi Nagar. Assuming that Keerthiga’s family would oppose their relationship, both of them secretly got married on February 28, 2014, and continued to live at their respective houses. Meanwhile, Kundhavi, who was skeptical about Dhiwakar following Keerthiga, asked him to stay away from her.
Even though Keerthiga tried to convince her mother, the latter refused to accept the relationship due to Dhiwakar’s poor academic records and his friends. As things were going on like this, Dhiwakar found Kundhavi as an obstacle to his married life and plotted a plan along with his friends, Raja Prakash (29), a MTC conductor, and Sundar Raj (30), of Villupuram, to eliminate his ‘mother-in-law’.
Dhiwakar allegedly offered his friends a share of the jewellery that he hoped to receive as dowry from Keerthiga’s father. As per their plan, Raja Prakash and Sundar Raj entered Kundhavi’s house by introducing themselves as advocates who came to invite the family for a marriage.
They strangulated her to death using a rope and to avoid getting caught, the duo sprayed chilli powder inside the house after the murder. Later, they fled away after taking Kundhavi’s 12 sovereign of gold jewellery and mobile phone.
A special team of police officials nabbed the duo murderers by tracking the stolen mobile phone. Dhiwakar was arrested based on their confession.
The trio were charged under IPC Sections 302 and 308 and remanded at Cuddalore Central Prison.
Magistrate Juilet Pushpa found them guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. A fine of `3,000 was also slapped on each of them. Later they were taken to Cuddalore Central Prison.