VELLORE: A local court here on Friday sentenced a 49-year-old man double life in a case relating to gruesome murder of an aged couple in Tirupathur in Vellore district.
The Mahila Court (Fast Track) judge M Selvam pronounced the judgment in the case handing M Sakthivel, 49, of Thammanur, Pulikuthi Vattam, Tirupathur, double life for murdering N Rajendran, 74, and his wife R Meena, 59, of the same village, court sources said.
Besides the double life, the convict was also sentenced to undergo 5 years rigorous imprisonment on the charge of house-trespass (section 449 IPC) along with Rs. 5000 fine, 7 seven years imprisonment each for robbery and robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death (section 392 r/w397 IPC) and Rs. 2000 fine, the sources said.
In total, Sakthivel was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for a period of 47 years.
However, the judge entitled him to serve the prison term concurrently.
Recalling the case, a senior police officer said that Sakthivel was an alcoholic and indulged in gambling as well. As he ran out of money for his expenses, he conspired to rob off the jewellery Meena was wearing.
On January 3, 2015, he entered into the house of Rajendran while the couple was fast asleep, before beating them to death using a plunger (wooden log used to grind grains in mortar). He had snatched gold ornaments from the woman and fled the scene.
Then Tirupathur Taluk police Inspector Selvakumar registered a case based on a complaint lodged by the deceased couple’s son Sivakumar and held inquiries. The accused was arrested on the following day, the officer said.
Sakthivel confessed to have committed the murder with an aim of robbing of the jewellery.