Woman Police Station turns into scene of crime

MADURAI: What was to be a routine counselling conducted for an estranged couple regarding custody of their children at an all-women’s police station here turned into a scene of a shocking crime of passion on Sunday morning when the husband slashed his wife with a sickle, killing her.Kannan, a lorry driver based at Nagamalai Pudukottai near Madurai, and Muthulakshmi have three kids Bharatiraja (6), Mahalingam (5) and Vishwa (3).As Kannan frequently came home drunk and picked up quarrels and beat his wife, Muthulakshmi moved out of their home and was staying with her relatives in Avaniyapuram, while the three children continued to be in Kannan’s custody. Muthulakshmi approached the Police Station at Vadapatti requesting custody of her children, stating that her husband did not care for them.Based on police intervention, Kannan surrendered second child, Mahalingam, to his wife. However when the police insisted that his youngest son also be given to his wife, Kannan paid no heed. When Muthulakshmi again went to the police seeking their intervention to get her custody of the son, the police on Sunday asked the couple to come in for counselling at the women’s police station in Vadipatti.When Muthulakshmi made rude comments about Kannan, he drew out a sickle he had been carrying and attacked her in rage, right in front of the policewomen. Her three children, who were also present, were traumatised by the sight of their mother lying in a pool of blood gasping for breath.She succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Word of the shocking incident quickly spread within police circles and Superintendent of Police and other top officials rushed to the spot to conduct an inquiry.