HR exec falls for chef’s wife in NZ, flies to city, but lands in jail

The arrested man has been identified as R Rakesh, a BE and MBA graduate from Ramavarmapuram in Nagercoil district, who was working as a Human Resource professional at a prominent bank in New Zealand. He befriended Sekhar (30) (name changed) from Puzhuthivakkam, a chef at a star hotel in New Zealand, and the two started sharing a rented premises since 2015 near Wellington.

Sekhar’s wife Saranya (name changed), currently working in a private firm in the city, visited New Zealand for six months last year leaving behind her four-year-old child with her parents. There, she met Rakesh, and Cupid struck! It was love at first sight for Rakesh. However, he did not make his feelings known in New Zealand.

In the meantime, Saranya returned to Chennai three months ago and a love-sick Rakesh, quit his job in New Zealand and followed her to the city. After finding a job, he took a house on rent in Madipakkam and started calling Saranya up over the phone and visiting her house every now and then. He recently proposed to her. Despite a shocked Saranya trying to explain that she did not harbour any feelings towards him and that he was just her husband’s acquaintance, he continued to hassle her, even telling her that she divorce her husband. She immediately contacted Sekhar and approached the police.

Initially, Madipakkam police warned Rakesh but since he continued to harass Saranya, he was arrested and remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday night.