In a shocking incident that has stunned Coimbatore, a 32-year-old man brutally murdered his estranged wife at a working women's hostel on Sunday morning. The gruesome crime was followed by the perpetrator taking a selfie with the victim's body and posting it as his WhatsApp status with a chilling message.
The Gruesome Crime Scene
The accused, identified as S Balamurugan from Tirunelveli, attacked his 30-year-old wife Sri Priya with a sickle at the working women's hostel on Raja Naidu Street near Gandhipuram. According to investigation officers, the murder was the culmination of escalating tensions over Priya's extramarital relationship with Balamurugan's distant relative.
Rathinapuri police confirmed that Balamurugan was arrested at the crime scene while sitting near his wife's body. The police have since produced him before a judicial magistrate and lodged him in jail under judicial custody. Priya's body has been sent to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital for postmortem examination.
Background of the Tragic Relationship
Investigations reveal that the couple's marriage had been strained for several months. Sri Priya had left her husband four months ago due to differences of opinion and moved to Coimbatore, where she started working in a bag retail shop on Cross Cut Road. She left their two children - a 10-year-old son and three-year-old daughter - in Balamurugan's custody.
According to police officials, Priya had developed an extramarital relationship with Isakki Raja, Balamurugan's distant relative who is married with three children. The situation escalated when Balamurugan visited Coimbatore on Saturday to confront his wife about the relationship.
The Final Confrontation
The tragedy unfolded after Balamurugan met Priya and asked her to end the relationship with Raja and reunite with him to lead a happy life. When Priya refused to return to their native place, the situation took a violent turn.
The investigation officer stated that matters worsened when Isakki Raja, who learned about Balamurugan's visit, sent an intimate photo of himself with Priya to Balamurugan. This provocation pushed the already enraged husband over the edge.
In an inebriated state, Balamurugan visited Priya at her hostel and confronted her about the intimate photograph. The argument turned violent when Balamurugan suddenly took out a sickle from his bag and stabbed her repeatedly, killing her on the spot.
In a macabre twist that highlights the perpetrator's mental state, Balamurugan clicked a selfie with his wife's body lying in a pool of blood and posted it as his WhatsApp status with the message: 'payment for betrayal is death.'
Police Response and Investigation
When alerted about the incident, Rathinapuri police immediately reached the working women's hostel on Raja Naidu Street and recovered Priya's body. The police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations into the circumstances leading to the murder.
This horrific incident has raised serious concerns about domestic violence and the extreme measures some individuals resort to when dealing with marital disputes. The case continues to develop as authorities gather more evidence and statements from witnesses.
