In a shocking case that has emerged from the scrub forests of northern Tamil Nadu, a seemingly routine snakebite death has been uncovered as a meticulously planned murder, allegedly orchestrated by the victim's own sons to claim massive life insurance payouts.
The Tragic Night and the Initial Investigation
On the night of October 22, in Pothatturpettai village near Tiruttani, 56-year-old E P Ganesan, a government school laboratory assistant, was found dead in his bed. His neck bore marks consistent with a fatal snakebite. His sons, Mohanraj (29) and Hariharan (26), rushed him to the Podatturpettai Government Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, citing a snakebite while sleeping.
The Podatturpettai police initially registered a case of unnatural death, treating it as a tragic accident—a common occurrence in areas where snakes are prevalent and medical facilities are distant. The matter might have ended there, filed away as another rural tragedy.
The Red Flags: Disproportionate Insurance Policies
The turning point came when an insurance company began reviewing the family's claim. The paperwork revealed an astonishing detail: Ganesan, a modestly paid government employee, was covered by multiple insurance policies. The family had taken 11 policies in total, with Ganesan alone insured for a staggering Rs 3 crore. Crucially, four high-value policies had been taken within the six months preceding his death.
The scale of coverage was wildly disproportionate to the family's known income and liabilities. The insurer flagged the case as suspicious and approached Inspector General of Police, North Zone, Asra Garg. This triggered a formal re-investigation.
The Unraveling of a Chilling Conspiracy
On December 6, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur, Vivekananda Shukla, ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Deputy SP C Jaishree. The team examined call records, financial transactions, and mobile data.
Their findings painted a picture of financial stress, multiple loans, and suspicious payments linked to the two sons in the days before the death. Investigators also discovered that Ganesan had survived a snakebite just a week earlier. This was not the first attempt.
Police allege that about a week before October 22, Mohanraj and Hariharan had arranged for a cobra to bite their father's leg while he slept. He survived after neighbours rushed him to a hospital. Undeterred, the brothers allegedly refined their plan.
The Lethal Second Attempt
In the early hours of October 22, the conspirators returned with a more lethal snake. A highly venomous Russell's viper was procured from forest areas near Manavur. The logistics, police say, involved a chain of accomplices: Balaji (28), a former colleague; Prashanth (35) of Manavur; Dinakaran (43), a snake catcher from Mosur; and Naveenkumar (28), who facilitated payments.
The snake was transported in a gunny bag by car to Ganesan's house. As Ganesan slept deeply, police allege the Russell's viper was deliberately made to bite him on the neck three times—a target chosen for rapid envenomation. "The bite was deliberate, controlled, and repeated to ensure fatality," an investigating officer stated.
After confirming Ganesan's death, the snake catcher, Dinakaran, allegedly killed the snake inside the house to eliminate evidence and reinforce the appearance of an accidental bite. Police also noted an "unexplained delay" in taking the victim to the hospital.
Arrests and Motive: Financial Gain and a Government Job
The financial trail was crucial. Police say Mohanraj paid Rs 1.5 lakh for the operation—Rs 90,000 via Google Pay to Naveenkumar and Rs 60,000 in cash—which was shared among the accomplices. The motive was twofold: to unlock the Rs 3 crore life insurance policies and to secure a government job on compassionate grounds.
Within ten days of focused investigation, the SIT identified and arrested all six accused: Mohanraj, Hariharan, Balaji, Prashanth, Naveenkumar, and Dinakaran. Police seized a car, a motorcycle, and multiple mobile phones. All six are now in judicial custody.
IG Asra Garg credited "scientific, technical, and field-level investigation" for cracking the case. SP Vivekananda Shukla praised the team's persistence in questioning an incident that was engineered to disappear into the grim statistics of common rural snakebite deaths.
