Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

A blood-curdling turnabout

The alleged suicide of a youth turned out to be a murder, says S. Vijay Kumar

Had it been closed as just another suicide case, the truth would never have come out. The alleged suicide of a 21-year-old youth in a lodge on the West Perumal Maistry Street in Madurai on January 29 turned out to be a "cold-blooded murder." A murder was organised in such a manner that the victim drank liquor unaware of the fact that it was mixed with poison. The alleged suicide was given a "love-failure" dimension.

However, sensing foul play the Thilagar Thidal Assistant Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), N. Rajendran, ordered a thorough investigation of the case that brought out a series of shocking sequences that finally ended up, in what the police claimed, as a well-planned murder.

According to investigators, the youth, P. Duraipandi (21) was in love with a girl in the Kanagavel Colony. Despite repeated warnings from the girl's parents to leave her alone, he continued to keep in touch with her.

Under these circumstances, B. Sridhar alias Ramesh (28) and P. Muthukumar (30) befriended Duraipandi. They threw a lavish party a few weeks ago. When he was in an inebriated condition, they took photographs, which were later shown to the girl in a bid to convince her that Duraipandi was a drunkard.

When things did not change much, the duo hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Duraipandi. As planned, Ramesh invited Durapandi to a party. Since the activities of the "new friends" were suspicious, Duraipandi brought with him his friend, Dinesh. However, the suspects managed to hand over the drink mixed with poison to Duraipandi who consumed it and collapsed a little later.

Though a suicide case was registered initially, the Thideer Nagar Inspector, M. Udhayasuriyan, says he had a suspicion right from day one. "The room boy of the lodge said three youths had consumed liquor while the whereabouts of one remained a mystery. With some inputs, including a mobile phone number, given by Dinesh, we nabbed Ramesh."

During interrogation, police said, Ramesh confessed to have committed the murder at the instigation of the girl's parents - M. Nagarajan (48) and N. Jayalakshmi (46) - who agreed to pay Rs. 25,000. All the four suspects were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Mr. Udhayasuriyan said the Commissioner of Police, M. Chidambarasamy, had ordered that suicide cases should be subjected to review in the monthly meetings. "Every suicide case has a story to tell. Though the complainants in many cases claim that the victims took the extreme step owing to intolerable stomach pain or other incurable diseases, a proper investigation would bring out the real truth," he adds. In another case of self-immolation, a woman succumbed to burns in the Thideer Nagar police station limits. During investigation, it came to light that her husband often harassed her seeking more dowry. Unable to bear his beatings, she committed suicide. The accused was arrested on charges of "abetment to suicide."

Police say an average of 600 persons commit suicide in Madurai city and district.

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A blood-curdling turnabout

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