CHENNAI: A 27-year-old man was handed down life imprisonment by a sessions court here for murdering a youth, his friend, for calling him ‘machan’, a colloquial term of endearment.
According to prosecution, the deceased Arun (20), who was a mini truck driver, and the convict Vijayakumar alias Viji were friends.
However, they allegedly developed some sort of enmity between them over Viji calling Arun ‘machan’, which was disliked by the latter.
Arun expressed his objection to being called ‘machan’, saying he has sisters. This offended Viji and he held a grudge towards Arun, said the prosecution.
On the night of October 12, 2014, Viji went to RV Nagar in Kodungaiyur, Tiruvallur, Arun’s uncle's home, with the intention of killing him. Viji stabbed Arun who was sleeping in the veranda of the house, according to the prosecution. He hit Arun’s head with a huge stone, killing him on the spot.
Arun's mother, uncle and aunt were witnesses to the murder; they tried to nab him but he managed to escape. They later lodged a complaint against Viji. The Kodungaiyur police registered a complaint under section 302 of IPC. After conducting the investigation, they submitted the final report before the trial court.
The trial court, after perusing the records, held that the convict Vijayakumar has committed a heinous crime and there is no likelihood for his reformation in the society. Hence, in the interest of the society at large, the court sentences him to life imprisonment, the order said.