Sometimes the best-laid plans go awry. A woman complained to the police that two persons had cheated her of the money she had paid to buy a product. When the police began investigating her complaint, they uncovered sordid details of lust, murder and revenge that finally saw the woman being arrested under the Arms Act.
The suspect, Manjula, 39, got a job at Tangedco on compassionate grounds after her first husband died a few years ago. Later, she married Karthikeyan, 37, an interior decorator in Nesapakkam, and had a son, Rithesh, with him.
The woman apparently had an affair with E. Nagaraj, 27, who frequented her house. Nagaraj, who lived on the same street, often took Rithesh to Hindi tuition classes. Upon learning of the affair from his son, Mr. Karthikeyan complained to the police, besides warning Nagaraj to stay away from his wife. Infuriated, Nagaraj kidnapped the nine-year-old Rithesh and murdered him at Selaiyur.
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Living in fear
Assistant Commissioner of Police Anantharaman said, “After the murder of her son, Manjula lived in constant fear that Nagaraj might make an attempt on her life too, once he was out on bail. She hatched a plan to settle scores with Nagaraj and her husband, who had distanced himself from her.”
She approached her acquaintances, Prasanth and Sudhakar of Saidapet, asking them to procure a gun for her and agreed to pay ₹2 lakh. The two gave her an air pistol. While they were discussing plans near YMCA grounds, police intercepted them. In the interrogation that followed, Manjula told the police initially that she had paid the duo money to buy a product, without disclosing what it was, and claimed that they had cheated her. However, after one of her associates told the police about the air gun, she confessed.
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“After the death of my son, Karthikeyan deserted me. He pestered me to return properties in my name. Moreover, I apprehended a threat from Nagaraj. Hence, I decided to buy a gun to finish them off,” she told the police.