Chennai woman murders husband, calls mother-in-law to apologise

CHENNAI: Royapuram police on Tuesday arrested a 37-year-old woman on murder charges after she strangulated her husband to death with a cotton vest, after an argument. After realising that she committed murder, the woman called up her mother-in-law and cried, apologising for her act, police said.

The accused, Muthulakshmi has been married to M Saravanan for 18 years and the couple has three children.

Saravanan was selling garments on the sidewalk along MC Road in Washermanpet. Police investigation revealed that Saravanan was an alcohol addict and used to harass his wife.

A few months ago, Muthulakshmi’s father had died and her family allegedly did not invite Saravanan for the rituals, which has created tensions between the couple. On Monday, they went to attend the funeral of Muthulakshmi’s uncle at Singara Thottam in Royapuram when Saravanan picked up an argument with her mother and brother.

When the couple reached home, Saravanan got drunk and continued to fight with Muthulakshmi asking her to get her share in the family property. After he hit her, Muthulakshmi called her mother-in-law, Dhanalakshmi and explained the situation. As it was late night, Dhanalakshmi consoled her daughter-in-law and told her that she would take care of the issue the next morning.

On Tuesday morning, Muthulakshmi called up her mother-in-law and cried to her. “Because of his beatings, I got enraged and in a fit of rage, I took a cotton vest and strangulated him (your son) to death. Please forgive me,” stated the complaint filed by Dhanalakshmi with Royapuram police.

On information, police reached the spot and Saravanan’s body and moved it to government hospital for autopsy. The woman was booked on murder charges and produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.