Erode man murders lover with kin’s help, both arrested

Erode: A 32-year-old man and his relative were on Friday arrested for murdering his lover and dumping the body at Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district.The Gobichettipalayam police identified the arrested duo as Mahendran, of Kavundapadi in Erode district, and his kin Sathish, 35, of Edappadi in Salem district. An investigation officer said Mahendran, who was married, was having an illicit affair with M Pushparani, 43, a widow from Thasappan Street at Gobichettipalayam. "Mother of two kids, she was working in a banian company. The woman went missing on Wednesday and her family members lodged a complaint with us. We registered a missing person case and started an investigation." As part of the inquiry, police checked the woman's call details and came to know that she often spoke to Mahendran, who was her colleague, over phone. Police subsequently picked him up for questioning on Friday morning. During the interrogation, Mahendran told police that he was having an extramarital affair with Pushparani for the past three years. "She often pestered him to meet her at her house. When Mahendran refused, the woman threatened to reveal the relationship to his wife. Mahendran decided to kill her and approached Sathish for help." On April 25, the officer said, Sathish picked up Mahendran and Pushparani in his car from Gobichettipalayam and went to Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district, where the duo murdered her by using a steel fencing mesh and dumped the body in an isolated area. Based on Mahendran's confessional statement, the Gobichettipalayam police arrested him and Sathish and produced them before a judicial magistrate, who remanded them in judicial custody. The duo were later lodged in prison.