TIRUCHY: Kumbakonam court awarded life imprisonment to a man in a case related to murder of a pandal maker.

Ayyappan, a pandal maker from Mullai Nagar and Selvaraj from the same place who were once friends turned foes later and they used to quarrel whenever they saw each other face to face. In such a backdrop, on March 15, 2017, while Ayyappan was waiting for a bus at Kumbakonam-Thanjavur road, Selvaraj came there and the duo started to quarrel and it snowballed into an assault.

Suddenly, Selvaraj took a knife and stabbed Ayyappan in which Ayyappan sustained multiple injuries and died on the spot and Selvaraj escaped from the spot.

Based on the complaint by Baskaran, brother of Ayyappan, Papanasam police registered a case and later arrested Selvaraj and lodged him in the prison. The case was in progress with the Kumbakonam Additional District Court and on Wednesday, the judge J Radhika who heard the case, awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 to Selvaraj.