The Coimbatore District Police have arrested K. Selvaraj (60) on the charge of murdering P. Mayilsamy (82) , who is father-in-law of Selvaraj’s daughter , at Mahalingapuram in Pollachi on Sunday morning due to family dispute.
The victim was a retired deputy collector who lived alone after his wife’s death 10 years ago.
Selvaraj is from LIC Colony in Pollachi Town. The police said that Mayilsamy’s son Chandrasekaran (47), an engineer who was in the supervisory position of a foundry in Coimbatore, married Selvaraj’s daughter Srimathi (36) about 20 years ago.
The couple has two daughters Arulkarthika (19) and Barathipriya (11). It is learnt that the family lived in Nagpur, Maharashtra, till four years ago when Chandrasekaran returned to Coimbatore following difference of opinion with his wife and lived alone.
Srimathi is a teacher in a private school in Nagpur and is with Barathipriya who is a 6{+t}{+h}student. Arulkarthika, a differently abled, studies in college and lives with Selvaraj in Pollachi.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that Selvaraj had asked Mayilsamy to support the education of Arulkarthika as he (Selvaraj) faced difficulty to fully fund her education.
It is learnt that Selvaraj also asked the victim for a share of his property for the girl, as it would be of help for her future.
The two were not in good terms as Mayilsamy refused to accept Selvaraj’s proposal. Around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Selvaraj went to the victim’s house with a new sickle and started an argument over the issue.
Selvaraj also held the victim responsible for the separation of Chandrasekaran and Srimathi and attacked him with the weapon.
The victim who suffered a cut on his head and stabs on his abdomen died on the spot. In a short time, the police caught Selvaraj.
The accused was booked under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
The victim’s body was taken to the Pollachi Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The victim was a retired deputy collector who lived alone after his wife’s death
