Man held for abetting third wifes suicide

VELLORE: A 32-year-old man has been arrested and remanded on Thursday on the charges of abetting his third wife’s suicide. The death of the deceased, Sevanthi (19), came to light after neighbours complained of a foul smell emanating from her rented house on Wednesday night.The Vaniyambadi Town Station police, who broke open the front door of the house, found the highly decomposed body of the young woman which was found lying on the bed. The police registered a case and conducted an inquiry with the house owner Lakshman, who lives nearby, and locals.It was found that Sevanthi and her husband Raja took the house for rent on April 2 stating that they were newly married.After arresting Raja, the police found that his real name was Rafeeq, a coolie, from Kollimalai near Ambur. He was already married and lived with his second wife and their two children in Ambur after divorcing his first wife in Kerala.After developing a relationship with Sevanthi, who was working in a leather industry in Ambur, he married her two months ago without the knowledge of his second wife, said Inspector of Vaniyambadi Town Station and investigating officer (IO) of the case K Nilavazhagan.To keep his third marriage secret, he took a house at Perumalpet in Vaniyambadi town for rent. “Sevanthi, who allegedly had an illegal affair, and Rafeeq quarrelled frequently. Rafeeq was suspicious about the fidelity of his third wife and stopped visiting her at Perumalpet,” said the inspector quoting Rafeeq’s confession.On April 17, Sevanthi telephoned and asked him to come home. He, however, scolded her and ended the phone call. “However, Rafeeq went to meet Sevanthi at 11.30 pm on the same night. He found her hanging. He brought her body down and checked her heartbeat and left the house after switching on the fan and locked the house from outside,” said the IO.Based on the confession of Rafeeq, the police registered a case against him under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of IPC for locking the house. He has been remanded to the Vellore Central Prison for Men, said the police officer.