Coimbatore couple booked for murdering woman

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore city police registered a murder case against a couple for allegedly murdering a 37-year-old woman at their residence in RS Puram. The police formed three special teams to nab the couple.
Police said, Malar, 37, daughter of Arumugam of 5th street of Karnapuram in Bhavani in Erode district, was working at Ganapathy cements and tiles shop at Bhavani. The woman, who was a divorcee, was residing at her parents’ house at Bhavani.
Around 10.30am on May 29, Malar visited her shop owner R Navaneethan’s residence in Kannusamy Street at RS Puram in Coimbatore. She went inside the bathroom of the house where she allegedly poured kerosene over her and set herself ablaze. She suffered severe burn injuries.
Navaneethan put out the fire and admitted her to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Initially Malar told the police that no one was the reason for suicide attempt. But when her family members recorded her statements, she revealed that she had been sexually abused by shop owner Navaneethan for the last eight years and she had taken pills for abortions multiple times. Navaneethan’s wife Akila had known about the relationship, she stated. In the video, she alleged that the couple had planned to finish her off by setting ablaze her.
But when a judicial magistrate took the dying declaration of the woman, she gave contradictory statements and did not reveal anyone's name.
Initially the RS Puram police registered a case under section 309 (attempt to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. After collecting the videos and letter from her, the police altered the case to 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC against the couple.
Malar died in CMCH on Wednesday night. The police altered the case to 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC against the couple who went missing.