Angry with son, man kidnaps, kills grandchild in Kovai

The accused Selvaraj, a construction labourer, confessed to the crime. Police said Selvaraj’s first wife left him 15 years ago. He then remarried seven years ago, but his second wife too left him a month ago.  

The police said, 24-year-old Muthumalai, (Selvaraj’s daughter-in-law) and wife of Kumar, 24, was alone with her child Darshini in the house when Selvaraj turned up on Monday evening. They live in Karuppampalayam area near Kinathukadavu.

Police said Selvaraj snatched the baby from Muthumalai and fled on a two-wheeler. Following a futile search till late at night, Kumar lodged a kidnap complaint against his father with the Kinathukadavu police. Thereafter, a special team picked up Selvaraj from Kinathukadavu railway station by tracking his mobile number on Tuesday.  

Upon being questioned, he revealed that he had killed the child, packed the body in a plastic bag and dumped it along Othakalmandapam-Thoppampalayam ‘Pirivu’ road. Police then took Selvaraj to the spot and recovered the body, which had several head injuries. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).