According to sources, C Jayakumar (45), a farmer and son of former MLAs of Valangaiman constituency A Chellappa and Yashoda Chellppa, was residing with his family on West Street in Annappanpettai. 

V Anitha (38), wife of Jayakumar, was a teacher in a private higher secondary school in Thanjavur. The couple had two sons, Dinesh (9) and Dharanesh (7), both students of a private school in Thanjavur.  Jayakumar, who was reportedly addicted to alcohol, used to come home drunk and frequently quarrel with his wife.

During one such fight on Thursday night, he allegedly beat his wife with the handle of a shovel. When their sons intervened, Jayakumar attacked them as well. As all the three suffered serious injuries, Jayakumar fled the house.

Hearing the screams of the mother and the two children, neighbours rushed to their house and found Anitha lying in a pool of blood along with her sons. All the three were rushed to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. While the two children succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital, Anitha was admitted in a serious condition. She too succumbed to injuries on Friday. 

Based on a complaint from Palanichamy, brother of Anitha, Melattur police registered a case and arrested Jayakumar.

It may be noted that the accused Jayakumar’s father A Chellappa got elected from Valangaiman assembly constituency on a DMK ticket in 1977. His mother Yasodha Chellappa was elected in 1989 from the same constituency as a representative of the same party.  

Jayakumar’s aunt Ilamathy Subramanian got elected from the from Valangaiman in 2006 on an AIADMK ticket.