Murder of ex-MP’s wife: Auto driver, wife held for assisting accused

After close to a month, the city police made its first arrest in the ex-MP Kulandaivelu’s wife, Rathinam (60), who was allegedly murdered by her own son over a property dispute.

An auto driver Sathya Jyothi (38) and his wife Rani (35) from Palavakkam have been arrested and remanded for helping the accused, Praveen (35), for brutally murdering Rathinam at their beach view house at Sixth Avenue, Besant Nagar, 14 April.

An investigation officer said, “Praveen was Sathya’s friend for the last six years. Whenever he came from London, Sathya used to pick him up and took him around the city. On his last trip, he told Sathya that Rathinam was not giving him the ancestral property and he had a plan to eliminate her. Attracted by the money, Sathya and Rani offered their support.”

The police found that Sathya had dropped him on his bike at Sixth Avenue and waited at a spot to pick him after he murdered Rathinam. Rani helped him take his luggage and clean his clothes after the murder.

The police have seized the two-wheeler from Sathya. It was an eyewitness who helped police find the duo’s involvement in the case. They were arrested last night.

Rathinam was speaking over phone with her daughter when she was attacked. Praveen allegedly tied her up using packaging tape and had stabbed her in the chest, several times, with a sharp object.

There was an electric wire around her neck. Praveen wanted his mother to sell off their ancestral property at Uthupalayam, in Salem, which she refused to. The police said Praveen is in Tamilnadu but is still at large.