Family disputes and petty squabbles are the motive behind most murders reported in the central zone, encompassing eight districts, this year.
Thanjavur district topped the number of murder cases reported followed by Tiruchi and Nagapattinam districts. The number of murder cases was on the downswing this year in the zone as compared to last year. Encompassing Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruvarur, Karur, and Nagapattinam districts, the central zone witnessed a total number of 219 murders and nine murder-for-gain cases till mid November this year. Last year, the figure was 262. The motives were varied and police are yet to ascertain the reason in some of the murder cases. The police have classified the motives behind murder under various categories which include murder for gain, family quarrel, petty quarrel, love affair or sexual motives, previous enmity, political rivalry, caste-related cases, drunken brawl, and others.
According to police statistics, family quarrel was the cause behind 52 murders, while in 44 other cases the motive was petty quarrel. Previous enmity was the motive behind 34 other cases.
Love affair or sexual motives were behind 36 murders, while land or property disputes were the motives in 20 cases. There were nine murder-for-gain cases and in 14 others the reasons were “not known”.
Thanjavur district was on top in respect of murders with the number of cases booked being 64. Tiruchi and Nagapattinam were second and third respectively with 37 and 33 cases. Although breakthroughs had been achieved in several murders, there were cases in which investigators were yet to make any headway. Two of them standout with one of them being the rape and murder of a Dalit girl at K.Pichampatty village in Karur district in June. Over four months have passed after the body of the girl was found inside a betel grove, but breakthrough still eludes investigators.
Another murder case that is posing a challenge to the investigators is the murder of a woman Siddha doctor in Kollidam Tollgate area in Tiruchi district last month. The 56-year-old victim C.Juliet Mary, a widow, was found murdered in her house with the face completely covered with adhesive tapes.
Though special teams were constituted to probe the case, investigators were yet to achieve a breakthrough.
