Three years ago, the body of Babu (45), a lathe worker from Karambakkam was cremated by his wife and relatives. The family had told everyone that Babu had died of natural causes. Shockingly, on Thursday, police stumbled upon a crucial lead — and they now suspect that the death was in fact, a cold-blooded murder committed by his wife, her brother and three of his friends.
Sources with the Valasaravakkam police said the victim, Babu, died on March 30, 2009 and his body was cremated at the Jafferkhanpet crematorium. His widow Malar (40), a resident of Samayapuram 4 Street in Karambakkam, and her brother Murali (33), an autorickshaw driver, told relatives and neighbours that Babu, who was an alcoholic, had died due to severe liver damage. No police case was registered at his death.
On Thursday night however, the routine questioning of a chain snatcher brought in surprising results. An Ashok Nagar police team was interrogating known defaulter Parthiban (26) of Kannikapuram, K.K. Nagar in connection with a few chain snatching incidents. During questioning, Parthiban confessed to having killed Babu. He said he had committed the murder along with Murali and two other friends, and with the abetment of the victim's wife Malar. Parthiban was then handed over to the Valasaravakkam police as the death had taken place in Karamabakkam, sources added.
Valasaravakkam police have now registered a case of murder in Babu's death.
A team headed by M. Chandrasekaran, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Valasaravakkam, probed Babu's death further on Friday and arrested Murali and his neighbour Selvakumar (27). When questioned, Murali told police that Babu had repeatedly abused Malar, who had then started living separately in a rented house in Karambakkam. However, Babu started coming there too and picked fights with her. Malar then decided to murder Babu with Murali's help.
On the night of March 30, 2009, Murali took Babu to the terrace of his sister's house and got him completely drunk. He then telephoned his friends Parthiban, Selvakumar and Saravanan and asked them to come to the house. The men smothered the inebriated Babu with a pillow and killed him as Malar watched, sources with investigation team said.
A search is on for Malar and Saravanan.
