In a chilling case of murder, Praveen, a young man from Dindigul, was arrested for the brutal killing of his girlfriend Mariammal, 23, whose burnt body was discovered in a 60-foot deep pit in a secluded forest area near Amaithi Cholai on April 13.
Local goatherds made the grim discovery along the Tharumathupatti-Pandrimalai Road. The Kannivadi police registered a case of suspicious death and launched an investigation to determine the identity of the woman.
The deceased was identified as Mariammal, an orphan who lived in a children’s home in Madurai until she completed her schooling. She had been working at a clothing store in Dindigul, where she met Praveen, with whom she had been in a relationship for about a year.
Police grew suspicious when Praveen came forward to identify the body. After questioning, he confessed to the murder. According to his statement, the couple frequently fought after Mariammal insisted on marriage following a sexual relationship, which Praveen did not agree to.
In a fit of rage, Praveen lured Mariammal to a secluded forest spot, murdered her, and set her body on fire to eliminate evidence. He admitted that he initially tried to mislead the police by identifying her body to avoid suspicion.
Praveen was arrested on Monday, and further investigation is ongoing.
