Man murders 'look alike' to evade rape case

To escape charges in a rape case, a man in Tamil Nadu commits a murder, reports A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com

A 26-year-old man allegedly murdered a 'look alike' to escape charges in a rape case at Manimoortheeswaram in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district.

Sudalairaj had a relationship with a Class 9 student in his village. After the girl became pregnant, the girl's family lodged a rape complaint against him with the police. The girl was a minor. Sudalairaj went missing.

On May 8 a body was found near the railway track, a short distance from his home. The police detained the girl's relatives on the suspicion that they had murdered Sudalairaj. The family denied the charge.

The police cremated the body the same night after a post-mortem, released the girl's relatives and registered a murder case against persons unknown.

A fortnight later, one of Sudalairaj's friends, who went to Tirupur to work in a garment company, met him there.

The friend immediately called up his family to tell them that their son was alive. He also informed the police following which a special team rushed to Tirupur, but Sudalairaj escaped.

When the police could not locate him, they arrested his father Armugam.

Sudalairaj's sister, the police said, identified the body by his mobile, wallet and shirt. The body was was badly mutilated and beyond recognition.

"My brother was willing to marry the girl. I don't know how the girl's family got the idea of a rape case. They dragged the police into it and spoilt relations," Sudalairaj's sister said.

Sudalairaj had studied up to Class 6 and worked as a painter with the girl's brother.

"When the girl became pregnant she told her family who informed the village elders," Silvaimuthu, a cousin of Sudalairaj, told Rediff.com

"There was a meeting and Sudalairaj agreed to marry the girl," he added. "But someone wanted to cause mischief and advised the girl's family to go to the police. So Sudalairaj ran away."

The girl is eight months pregnant. "Even if that boy comes back, I don't want my daughter to have anything to do with him. His family is as poor as ours. I cannot ask for child support. I will not allow my daughter to be married to a murderer," the girl's mother told Rediff.com

"Who do you think can help us?" she wondered. "The entire village is mocking us. What can we do but hang our head in shame," the girl's aunt added.

The rape case was registered at the district's Town police station while the murder case was registered at the Dachanallur police station.

Dachannallur Police Inspector T Periasamy told Rediff.com, "The girl complained after she became pregnant. We know Sudalairaj was involved with other girls too. His parents were chased out of the village after the girl accused him of rape. They are now living with their daughter."

"The body that we found had Sudalairaj's clothes, ID card, wallet and mobile phone in his pocket. He (Sudalairaj) had bashed up the face beyond recognition. Even his parents believed it was him," the inspector added.

The police have not identified the man Sudaliaraj murdered. The police have gone through the missing persons records from the entire state, but have not found a match yet.

"We will know who that man was," said Periasamy, "only after we catch Sudalairaj,"