Madurai woman death: Husband among five detained

Husband hatched a plot to bump off his wife, who owned half his ancestral properties.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

MADURAI: "Do not be frivolous with your wealth," was the appeal Lavanya used to make to her businessman husband whose business acumen left much to be desired. That appeal, according to what police told media persons, prompted the man not to correct his course but to hatch a plot to bump off his wife, who owned half his ancestral properties. The death list that he prepared included not only his wife but also his 58-year-old mother and his two daughters, so that there is no loose end left. Such was the mind of KM Kumaraguru (36), one of the five suspects the city police detained on Friday, two days after the 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death by two assailants when she was fast asleep.

Sources said it was Kumaraguru who opened the door of the house to allow the assailants, whom he had hired earlier, to enter the house and kill his wife, who, he believed, was an impediment to his ambitions. His plan was to kill off his entire family and make it look like a burglary attempt gone wrong. However, why the assailants spared the children, the eldest of whom woke up while her mother was being stabbed, has yet to be ascertained.

Businessman turned murderer?

According to sources, Kumaraguru, at one point, had transferred half his ancestral properties to Lavanya. During the course of time, he exhausted all the wealth that was in his name. This included two houses and two shops. Subsequently, he turned his attention to the properties in Lavanya's possession. However, she refused to entertain his attempts to coax her into giving him more money. The 'no' was unwelcome by Kumaraguru.

An earlier attempt?

Kumaraguru had reportedly attempted to murder his wife with the help of several persons on December 24 when both of them visited a temple in Dindigul. This time he wanted to make it look like a chain-snatching attempt. Lavanya escaped with a number of cut. However, she did not lodge a complaint.

The incident

G Lavanya (35) of Bharathi Ula Street was stabbed to death by two assailants who trespassed into their house on Wednesday early morning while she was asleep beside her two daughters. Her mother-in-law Seeniammal alias Jeyakodi was injured in the attack.

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