For the brutal murders of two differently-abled siblings that took place in early October in Denkanikottai, the police on Monday arrested their mother and her partner. They are among the five arrested for abetting the double-murder and destroying evidence.
The victims, Manju (15) and her brother Muthappa (13), were murdered on October 7. Muthappa’s body was found in a lake in Pallapalli on October 19. A few days later, Manju’s was found in a eucalyptus forest near Hosur by Mathigiri police.
The two children had been admitted to a children’s shelter in Bengaluru by their mother Venkatalakshmi.
According to police, Venkatalakshmi was born in Ellayur in Denkanikottai and was married to her maternal uncle. However, her husband, Seenivasan, abandoned her with the two children after they were born with disabilities. Venkatalakshmi had gone back to live with her parents in Ellayur and taken up a job in a garment unit in Denkanikottai to raise her two children.
She had met Suresh (34) at the unit and they got into a relationship. Venkatalakshmi then decided to admit her two children to a home in Bengaluru -- they were to be taken care of by her parents.
Later, when her parents apportioned their money between their children, Venkatalakshmi reportedly got a smaller share in cash on the understanding that her parents were already taking care of her children.
According to police, Venkatalakshmi was upset over this and decided to get rid her of the children.
Investigation at first led the police to Naveen Kumar (30), who had reportedly carried out the murders under instructions from Suresh and Venkatalakshmi. He had allegedly hit them on the head with an iron rod and later strangulated them. Suresh’s brother Gopal (24) and Gopal’s wife Shanti (23) had abetted the crime.
