According to police, Nagaraj was having an affair with the boy’s mother Manjula, a TNEB employee.  Four months ago, her husband Karthikeyan had found out about the relationship and approached the local police, who had let Nagaraj off with a warning. But after spotting the two again in January, he warned Nagaraj again to stay away from his wife. “Since then Manjula has been avoiding Nagaraj, which angered him, leading to the murder of her son,” the officer added.   

Police claimed that Manjula stopped Karthikeyan from approaching the police even after their son went missing. As this led to suspicions about her involvement in the murder, police interrogated her as well. 

Read more: 10-year-old boy kidnapped, murdered by mother's paramour

Manjula (42) had married Karthikeyan (38) after her first husband passed away and she got a job in TNEB on compassionate grounds. Her daughter from the first marriage is growing up with her relatives.

Manjula, police said, had even abandoned the family and rented a flat in Selaiyur to stay with Nagaraj. But following her relatives’ counsel, she later reconciled with Karthikeyan for the sake of their son Rithesh Sai.