Man on the run after wife’s murder arrested

CHENNAI: Nearly a week after a woman was strangulated at her house in Poonamallee, police arrested her husband from Coimbatore.

Investigation revealed that the accused, A Anandraj (30) of Panruti, was being searched by the Cuddalore police after a woman he was in a relationship there had died by suicide a few weeks ago. After his mother was arrested on suicide abetment charges, Anandraj, his wife Nandini (27) and their three children came to the city and had been staying at a rented house in Poonamallee.

Police said a quarrel erupted between Anandraj and Nandini on November 14 after he blamed Nandini for his lover’s suicide. In the melee, he allegedly hit Nandini’s head with a wooden log. When she collapsed, he strangulated her before escaping from the spot with the children.

It was Nandini’s sister Pavithra who lives on the ground floor of the same building who found her body and alerted Poonamallee police. A case was registered and a team was formed under Assistant Commissioner Muthuvelpandi and inspector Chidambara Murugesan. Using call records, the team traced Anandraj to his relative’s house in Coimbatore. He was picked up and brought to the city on Sunday. He was remanded in judicial custody.

Police said that the children are in the custody of his relatives in Coimbatore who assured to take care of them. “Cuddalore police will formally arrest him in the suicide abetment case,” said an officer.

The 30-year-old man allegedly hit his wife’s head with a wooden log and strangulated her blaming her for his lover’s suicide