Yoga teacher from ECR arrested for murdering ex-boyfriend in Kodai

CHENNAI: A squabble between two ex-lovers led to the murder of a 30-year-old sound engineer from Tenkasi at Kodaikanal early on Thursday after four friends of the woman, a yoga teacher from Kottivakkam, attacked him for assaulting her. Though they rushed him to the hospital after realising that he was seriously injured, he had died by the time they reached the GH.

The deceased was identified as Surya Durai, a sound engineer who had completed a film technology course at a college in Chennai and was working online for some firms abroad. He was in Kodaikanal searching for land to set up a cottage business.

Police said Surya was in a relationship with Curlin Swetha (24), but broke up about six months ago. She then returned to Chennai. Recently, she was in Kodaikanal again for some personal work and started meeting him again.

According to the police, Curlin met Surya on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, during which they fought again. During the quarrel, enraged after being slapped by Surya, Curlin allegedly poured hot water on his hand. This intensified the scuffle, following which she called her friends requesting them to pick her up.

“She had shared her location with a friend using WhatsApp around 12.15 am. Within 10 minutes, Paranthaga Chozhan (25), Akil Hameed (25) from Kodaikanal reached there. Soon afterwards, two other friends – S Gowtham (31), also from Kodaikanal, and Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose (27) of Tirunelveli – also reached there,” police said.

Seeing the injuries she sustained, they picked up a quarrel with Surya and then attacked him. When he allegedly tried to attack her again, Gowtham hit his head with a club. After Surya fell to the ground, four of them kicked him on his chest and face.

Police said the friends initially wanted to leave him and go, but later decided to take him to hospital. They admitted Surya to Kodaikanal GH around 4 am, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Based on her confessions, Kodaikanal police arrested Curlin and others.