The Crime Branch CID (criminal investigation department) has reopened a double murder case of a couple in Chennai who were found dead in 2017. In a surprise move, the police have arrested the sister of one of the victims, who also happens to be the complainant in the case. Forty-six-year-old Dharmalingam, a flower vendor from Mylapore, and his wife Meenakshi had died in a span of two days under suspicious circumstances. According to reports, the post-mortem report revealed that the couple had been poisoned. Following this, Meenakshi's elder sister Latha had lodged a complaint with the Mylapore police station.
The police had then arrested Meenakshi's other sister Mythili, her husband, son and their friend in Mylapore, allegedly due to their involvement in the murder. The accused had allegedly laced the couple's food with herbicide, slowly poisoning them till they died. In addition to this, Mythili had reportedly withdrawn Rs 17 lakh from Meenakshi's bank account and inherited the couple's property with a forged will. The case was then shifted to the CB-CID in 2018, as per the directions of the Saidapet magistrate court.
After this, however, there was no development in the case for close to two years and the investigation was still underway. Recently, the CB-CID stumbled upon a suspicious transaction by Latha, the complainant. A Rs 5 lakh cheque was deposited in Latha's account from Meenakshi's Indian Bank account in Mylapore. Following this, the CB-CID reportedly questioned Latha, who admitted to being involved in the plot to murder the couple. She was remanded to judicial custody.
Dharmalingam fell ill on January 10, 2017, and two days later Meenakshi too fell ill, and both were admitted to a private hospital. Dharmalingam died on January 15 while Meenakshi passed away on January 17.