Chennai, February 8: Police in Tiruvallur have arrested a 31-year-old man and his 21-year-old lover for the alleged murder of his wife at their residence in Perumpedu, near Ponneri. The accused, identified as D. Rajesh, reportedly smothered his wife, M. Kousalya, 21, on Friday evening before attempting to mislead investigators by staging the death as a domestic accident.

The incident occurred when Kousalya returned home early from college to find only her husband at the residence. According to investigators, Rajesh used a pillow to smother the victim, killing her on the spot. To cover up the crime, he attempted to manipulate the scene to suggest a tragic mishap. Police found that Rajesh had broken a window and spilled cooking oil on the floor to create the appearance that Kousalya had slipped and fallen. Uttar Pradesh Horror: Man Kills Wife, 2 Daughters for Not Wearing Burqa, Buries Them in 7-Foot-Deep Pit at Home in Shamli.

After staging the room, Rajesh locked the house from the inside and raised an alarm to alert neighbors. Residents who rushed to the scene broke open the door and transported Kousalya to the Ponneri Government Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

The investigation into the motive revealed that Rajesh, a contract designer, had been involved in a long-term relationship with a distant relative, 21-year-old M. Deepika. While his family had opposed the relationship and pressured him into an arranged marriage with Kousalya in August 2023, Rajesh allegedly continued the affair. Police state the murder plot was hatched at Deepika’s insistence to allow the pair to live together. Kanpur Shocker: Man Strangles Wife to Death Barely 4 Months After Marriage As He Finds Her in Compromising Situation With 3 Men in UP, Surrenders Before Police.

Local authorities became suspicious during the preliminary inspection of the home, noting that the physical evidence did not align with Rajesh's account of a slip-and-fall accident. Under interrogation, Rajesh reportedly confessed to the murder and detailed Deepika’s role in the conspiracy. Both suspects have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder and tampering with evidence. They have since been remanded in judicial custody as the legal proceedings continue.

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