Madurai: A 25-year-old woman was arrested by V Chatrapatti police in Madurai district on Saturday on charges of murdering her five-year-old son. Police arrested R Ananthajothi, 25, and her lover Maruthupandian, 22, under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder) after altering the case which was initially registered under CrPc section174 (suspicious death). Ananthajothi, who worked in a textile store, got married to S Ramkumar, 28, from V Kuchampatti village six years ago. They had a son and daughter, aged three. In his complaint Ramkumar, a mason, said that he had gone to work to Thirumangalam on Friday and was returning home in the evening, when he got a phone call from a neighbour saying that his son Jeevan, 5, had been taken to Virudhunagar government hospital. He rushed to the hospital, where he was told by his wife that their son died in his sleep.

While Ananthajothi claimed that Jeevan was bitten by an insect leading to his death, Ramkumar did not believe it since there were external injuries on his body. Based on Ramkumar’s complaint the police conducted an inquiry with Ananthajothi. During police questioning Ananthajothi confessed that she and Maruthupandian had strangulated Jeevan to death as they feared that the boy might reveal their relationship to Ramkumar.

