His wife Shanmugapriya (49) allegedly demanded that the ownership of the house they were living in in should be transferred into her name, which triggered an argument between the couple. Infuriated by it, Thalapathy picked up a kitchen knife and allegedly stabbed Shanmugapriya on her neck and chest.

After she collapsed on the spot, the couple’s son Arun rushed his mother to a private hospital in Tondiarpet. But the doctors there declared Shanmugapriya brought dead, and her body was sent to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, Thalapathy surrendered at New Washermenpet police station. Police have booked him for murder and further investigation is on.

In a case reported in Tondiarpet on January 28, a man murdered his wife and tried to stage her death as suicide. Hari (28) alleged killed his wife Jeevitha, also aged 28, and tried to conceal the crime by making it appear as a case of suicide. While police initially registered a case of suspicious death, a detailed inquiry by the RDO confirmed that Jeevitha was murdered. Following this, the sections of the case were altered and Hari was arrested for the alleged murder. He was later remanded in custody.