Daughter-in-law, her mother get life term for murder of man over property dispute

An Additional District Sessions Court in Tiruvallur has sentenced two women to life imprisonment for murdering a 72-year-old farmer by setting him on fire in 2019 over a property dispute.

The police said Sabapathi, a farmer from Nemili village near Tiruvallur, did not divide his property among his children, which led to a dispute with his daughter-in-law, Gayathri. In 2019, Gayathri and her mother, Kalaivani, planned to kill Sabapathi.

The accused entered the house while Sabapathi was sleeping, and smothered him with a pillow. When he resisted, they poured kerosene on him and set him on fire. Sabapathi succumbed to his burn injuries.

Based on a complaint, the Kanakammachatram police registered a case and arrested Gayathri, 42, and Kalaivani, 64.

The case was tried in the Tiruvallur Additional District Sessions Court. After the final hearing, the court found the duo guilty. It sentenced both Gayathri and Kalaivani to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹25,000 each.