A 39-year-old man who, on Wednesday, orchestrated the killing of his wife through his nephew was arrested by the city police on Saturday. The nephew had been arrested earlier.
The man had staged the crime to make it look like the murder had occurred following an attempted robbery at the couple’s home in Okkiyam Thoraipakkam.
Homemaker Kavitha Kumari (36), a resident of Soolaima Nagar, 1st Street in Mettukupam, was found dead with her throat slit in her bedroom. Her husband Veerappan (39), a wholesale fish dealer in Teynampet, claimed to have found the body and called the police.
According to Thoraipakkam police, when they arrived at the house, they found the cupboard in the bedroom open, and belongings scattered about the room. When the police questioned Veerappan, he said that a robber had possibly murdered his wife during an attempt to steal jewellery.
When the police investigated further, they found that the couple had had a strained relationship. “Kavitha had eloped with a youth near her home three years ago, and it was only after police intervention that she was reunited with Veerappan. Later, Veerappan had had a few affairs which infuriated her and the couple constantly quarrelled,” said an investigating officer.
Recently, Veerappan’s nephew Arasu (29) of MGR Nagar, who is also a suspect in a 2010 murder case in Kannagi Nagar, had asked Veerappan to lend him Rs. 30,000. Arasu wanted it to settle a dispute with his first wife.
“Veerappan had talked to Arasu about his problems with Kavitha and said he wanted her murdered. Arasu had been bailed out by Veerappan for his alleged previous murder, and readily agreed to kill Kavitha in exchange for the money,” the officer said.
Around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Arasu went to his uncle’s house and strangled Kavitha in her bedroom while they were talking. When she lost consciousness he took a knife from the kitchen and slit her throat. He then left the house, the officer said.
Veerappan arrived home around 2.30 p.m. and pretended to be in shock after finding his wife’s body on the bed.
Arasu, who had been absconding, was nabbed by a police team from Cuddalore on Friday night. The duo has been remanded to custody and sent to Puzhal prison, police said.
