Further investigation by the Vadavalli police in the Sruthi Menon murder case has revealed that the accused A. Azeem had planned the murder. Azeem murdered his classmate Sruthi at her residence on Saturday evening, stabbed her mother and committed self immolation.
Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural, E.S. Uma told The Hindu that Azeem had recently secured a job in a bank in Bangalore. He had decided to discontinue his studies to take up the job. Prior to leaving for Bangalore he wanted to convince Sruthi to marry him, as she had parted ways with him following her parents’ advice.
The police officer said that Azeem went to their college a couple of days ago to talk to the girl but returned disappointed. On Saturday, he made another attempt to convince her but was asked to keep away by Sruthi’s friends.
After the close of college for the day, Azeem trailed Sruthi in his car to her house at Vadavalli. As Azeem attempted to enter Sruthi’s house, her mother Latha stopped him. He pushed her aside and stabbed her at nine places. Mr. Baskar said that the knife the boy used was a type that was not normally used at houses.
He then stabbed Sruthi to death, doused himself with kerosene and fell on her. The police said that Azeem had taken the kerosene with him.
Azeem’s father runs a fabrication unit at Kalapatti and his brother manages a business in R.S. Puram. Sruthi’s mother Latha, who is under treatment at a private hospital, is said to be out of danger.
