Man hacked to death by estranged wife's lover in Dharmapuri district

Dharmapuri: A 40-year-old man was brutally hacked to death near Papparapatty in Dharmapuri district late on Sunday night. The accused later turned himself in to the police early the following morning, along with a sickle which was used to commit the murder.

The deceased has been identified as P Nanjappan, of Unampallam Pikkampatty. He was a mason and was living alone after separating from his wife.

The arrested has been identified as M Gajendran, 36, also from Unampallam Pikkampatty. Police said Gajendran a car driver, is married and has two daughters. However, for the past decade he has been involved in an extramarital affair with Nanjappan's wife.

"Nanjappan frequently consumed alcohol and confronted Gajendran about the affair. On the night of the incident, he visited Gajendran's home, accusing him of causing issues in his marriage and demanding that he end the affair with his wife. The confrontation escalated into a physical altercation, during which Gajendran, in a fit of rage, grabbed a sickle from his home and hacked Nanjappan multiple times, resulting in immediate death," said a police officer from Papparapatty station

Gajendran surrendered to the police the next morning and confessed to the crime. Police subsequently arrived at the crime scene, retrieved the body, and shifted it to the Dharmapuri Government Medical College and Hospital for a postmortem. Papparapatty police have registered a case and are investigating.