PERAMBALUR: A teacher of a government school in V Kalathur who was on the run for 85 days, was arrested on Sunday on charges of murdering his female colleague. The accused, identified as N Venkatesan (37), has confessed to the crime, the police said.
According to police sources, the victim B Deepa (42) a native of Attur Road in Veppanthattai, who had been working as a Maths teacher at the Government Higher Secondary School in V Kalathur, went missing on November 15.
Her husband Balamurugan lodged a complaint at the V Kalathur police station stating that his wife, who had gone to school in a car, did not return home. On the same day, the police received another complaint that N Venkatesan who had been working as a Science teacher in the same school, was also missing.
The complaint was filed by his wife Gayathri (33). On December 1, Deepa's car was found at Ukkadam in Coimbatore city. The police found a blood-stained hammer, debit cards, two mobile phones, and gold jewellery in the car. Following this, the Perambalur police formed a 10-member special team to trace the two missing teachers.
Venkatesan, who was on the run for 85 days, was taken into custody by the Perambalur police on February 8 from Marina beach in Chennai. He was then brought to the district for interrogation. Meanwhile, the police also arrested V Gayathri, wife of Venkatesan, and his brother-in-laws R Raja (38) and C Prabhu (40) for concealing evidence and conspiracy.
They were remanded in judicial custody. During inquiry, it was revealed that Venkatesan had lost around Rs 30 lakh in share market and had borrowed Rs 20 lakh from Deepa's husband. Both had heated arguments over the money. Venkatesan took Deepa to Murukkangudi forest and killed her using a hammer.
He took the body to a dumpyard in Pudukottai district and disposed it off, said police sources. Following this, the Perambalur police registered a case and took Venkatesan into custody under IPC sections 302 (murder), 404 (dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by deceased person at the time of his death), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 212 (harbouring offender), 109 and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy).
He was produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court in Veppanthattai and remanded in judicial custody on Sunday. When contacted, Perambalur SP C Shymala Devi told TNIE, "After his confession, we went to Pudukkottai and recovered traces of the burnt body. We have sent them for lab tests. We have also recovered 25 sovereigns of gold jewellery belonging to Deepa from him."
She added that the accused travelled to various places including Tiruchy, Madurai, Pudukkottai, Theni, Coimbatore Palakkad and Chennai. Notably, Venkatesh, who was suspended by the school, had also borrowed money from other teachers too. Action will be taken if a complaint is filed, the SP said. Shymala Devi hailed the efforts of the special team in nabbing the accused.