: Investigation into the murder of a family of five persons at A. Thottiyapatti near Sedapatti on Monday has revealed that Army Havildar P. Kamalakannan (35) shot at his wife with a country-made gun, but missed the target. “No bullet injury was found in any of the five bodies of his wife and in-laws, but we have recovered the country-made gun that the Havildar had reportedly bought in New Delhi, an empty case of a bullet and three live rounds,” said M. Balasubramanain, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Peraiyur).
The Madurai rural district police have arrested the Havildar, his younger brother, P. Paramasundaram, an M.Phil scholar, and their mother, S. Subbulakshmi. The police are on the lookout for the Kamalakannan’s sister, Poornakala (38) and her husband, R. Venkatesh alias Venkatachalam (40), also an Armyman deployed in Secundarabad.
They had also used two sharp knives used by Goorkas, brought from New Delhi.
Along with his brother-in-law and younger brother, Kamalakannan murdered his wife, Gomathi (28), her two sisters and parents, when they were waiting at a bus stop at A. Thottiyapatti.
D. Loganathan, cousin of Gomathi, who tried to prevent the brutal murders, sustained cut injuries on his ear and head. His sister, Nageswari, had deep cut on three of her fingers, the police said.
The problem started after Poornakala picked a quarrel with the deceased persons at a family function. “She even slapped Gomathi’s father, K.S. Chinnasamy (65), an ex-serviceman, with a chappal at the function,” the DSP said.
The bodies were taken to Mangalrevu after post-mortem. The accused have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code including conspiracy, attempt to murder and murder and under the provisions of Arms Act.
Problem started after a quarrel picked at
a function
