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A violent end for mild-mannered Pavithra

By P. Oppili

SRIPERUMBUDUR, JULY 23. One among the group of `Eight-Stars' will not shine any more.

Pavitra, murdered by a dacoit gang that struck contractor Jayachandran's house in suburban Sriperumbudur on Thursday, was one of a group that had named itself `Eight Stars' of St. Mary's School.

The parents and `co-stars' of the mild-mannered Pavithra (17) are yet to recover from the shock; for them it is an irreparable loss. Pavithra's classmate, Swathi, said, "we always remained as one group. Pavitra was so mild mannered she would never talk to anyone other than the co-stars." Another classmate Preethi said, "she was a very silent student, and always came within the top ten." N. Mohan Rao, her teacher, said, "I have never seen her chattering during the class hours."

Preparing for her class tests till late in the night, Pavithra had gone to bed only a couple of hours before the dacoits struck.

Residents shocked

The enormity of the dacoity-cum-murder is yet to sink in among the residents of Sriperumbudur. They note that even the proximity of the contractor's house to the national highway, and the police check-post nearby did not deter the gang. The screams of the terrified family members were lost in the din of the highway traffic.

Meena, residing next door to Jayachandran at Beemanthangal, said she did not hear any sound or anyone screaming. "Only around 6 a.m. when my son left for office, I came to know about the incident." People in the area, who used to keep the doors open even at night, said they would have to be more vigilant from now.

The German shepherd, a pet in the contractor's house that was drugged by the intruders, is yet to recover fully the sedation.

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