Mason surrenders after murdering wife

CHENNAI: In the second such incident in as many days, a 39-year-old home-maker was strangled to death by her husband, who suspected her of having an affair, at Pattibiram on Tuesday. The killer surrendered at the police commissioner’s office on Wednesday.On Monday, Krishnaveni of Kolathur was beaten to death by her husband Santham, who too gave himself up at the local police station later. Giving details of this murder, ACP (Pattabiram) S Krishnan told Express that the couple, S Lakshmi, a homemaker, and Srinivasan,  a mason, had been married for nearly 20 years and had three children. About four years ago, Lakshmi developed “illegal contact” with Moses, a resident of Muthialpet and employee of a defence clothing manufacturing firm in Avadi. This  created friction between the couple and things came to a head on April 4, when Lakshmi disappeared from the house, the ACP said.On April 14, Srinivasan filed a police complaint, alleging that Moses had kidnapped his wife. When Moses was picked up and grilled, he claimed that Lakshmi had quit the house as she was being ill-treated by her husband and that he had no role in it. He also revealed that Lakshmi was staying at a hostel in Vepery. A police team rushed there and questioned Lakshmi, who confirmed that she was ill-treated by her husband and hence, was now staying at the hostel. After obtaining a written statement from her, the police team left. On Tuesday, the hostel authorities called Srinivasan and told him that his wife wanted to return to him. The mason and his eldest son Sunil Kumar (18) went to the hostel, where the couple underwent counselling and returned home around 4 pm. “Immediately, there was a verbal tiff  between the duo,” the officer said. “Lakshmi demanded divorce from husband, saying that she wanted to marry Moses, and he refused.” Later, the couple went to the terrace to sleep. When they did not come down on Wednesday morning, their children went up only to find their mother dead, while their father was nowhere to be seen. On information, Pattabiram police arrived and sent the body to Kilpuak Medical College Hospital. A case was filed under Section 174 (suspicious death). The case was soon altered to Section 302 (murder) of IPC, when Srinivasan appeared at the CoP’s office in Egmore and surrendered, claiming that he had strangled his wife after a verbal tiff with her during the night.