Cops probe murders after reality TV show

During a reality TV programme about love marriages telecast by a Tamil channel last month,M Bhargavi,17,while explaining how her father Murugan had opposed to her love affair with a boy,said her mother warned her against continuing the relationship citing an incident where a man,his daughter and her lover were killed by Murugan in 2008. She added that her mother Rajeswari said the bodies were buried near a well at their home. Both Murugan and Rajeswari were present at the studio when the show was recorded; while he denied the murders,Rajeswari said she did not witness the incident though her husband used to threaten to murder her like he killed three persons.

Soon after the programme was aired,a woman named Jeeva approached the police with a complaint that her husband and daughter went missing in 2008. Senior officials formed special teams that dug up the site where the bodies were allegedly buried and found skeletons suspected to be that of the three.

As per the police,Murugan’s employee Silambaran fell in love with his friend Sekar’s daughter Lavanya. When Sekar came to know about it,he approached Murugan to advise the couple against continuing their love affair. Due to reasons that are not clear,Murugan fed the young couple and his friend drink mixed with poison and killed them. He buried the three bodies near a well.

The murders were not known to the world till Bhargavi appeared on the reality TV show and made it public. The police said Murugan did not return home after the show was recorded.

Investigating officials suspect that Murugan had sexually abused Bhargavi. They are contemplating arresting Rajeswari for concealing information about the murders.