Woman dumps hubby’s body in barrel, left to decay

CHENNAI: Police arrested a woman who dumped the dead body of her 76-year-old husband in a plastic barrel in Thiruporur on Thursday. The dead body was decaying over 10 days inside the plastic container.

Police identified the deceased as Valathi Kovilan who was staying with his wife Ezhilarasi (54) in Alathur village near Thiruporur in Chengalpattu district. The couple were staying in the house for the past four years. The woman told the police that she decided to dump the dead body in the barrel as she had no money for arranging the last rites.

The incident was reported on Wednesday when the house owner Rajeswari went to visit the couple as she did not pay the rent for the past month, police said. Rajeswari found the house locked from outside and a foul smell was emanating. The Thiruporur police who visited the spot broke open the door and found the odour was coming from a plastic barrel. To their shock they found the decomposed body of an old man.

After a search operation, the police nabbed Ezhilarasi who had gone missing. On Thursday morning the police arrested Ezhilarasi near Kanathur in Chennai and during inquiry she reportedly told the police that her husband was sick for the past few months leading to his death. As he vomited blood and died inside the house 10 days ago, she disposed of the body in the barrel as she didn’t have money to arrange for a proper funeral, the police said.

She is said to have confessed to the police that she resorted to such an extreme decision as she didn’t know anyone in Thiruporur or relatives in Villupuram who could come to her help. However, they aren’t buying her statement and are pursuing a thorough enquiry as they believe it is difficult to push the dead body into a huge drum single handedly. The police have registered a case and are awaiting a post-mortem report to take the case further.