In Tamil Nadu, a 30-year-old woman from Tirunelveli was brutally murdered by her estranged husband inside a women’s hostel in Coimbatore on Sunday. The deceased, Sripriya, who worked at a private firm in Coimbatore, had separated from her husband, Balamurugan, four months ago. Following the separation, she moved to Coimbatore, leaving behind their 10-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, who remained in the custody of Balamurugan.
Hacked To Death With A Sickle, Takes A Selfie, Puts it as a WhatsApp Status
On Sunday afternoon, Balamurugan allegedly visited the hostel where Sripriya was staying with a sickle concealed in his clothing. According to police, an argument erupted between the two during the meeting. In a sudden and brutal attack, he hacked Sripriya to death inside her hostel room.
Police said the attack terrified other hostel residents, who ran out in fear. Shockingly, Balamurugan remained at the scene, took a selfie with Sripriya’s body lying in a pool of blood, and uploaded it to his WhatsApp status, captioning it, “The payment for betrayal is death.”
He was arrested at the spot by Rathnapuri Police, who recovered the weapon. Initial investigations suggest Balamurugan suspected his estranged wife of being in a relationship with another man.
How The Relationship Soured And Took A Deadly Turn
According to reports, Sripriya had left Balamurugan due to differences of opinion and started working in a bag retail shop on Cross Cut Road, Coimbatore. She was staying at a working women’s hostel on Raja Naidu Street.
A report says, “Priya developed an extramarital relationship with Balamurugan’s distant relative, Isakki Raja, who is married with three children. On Saturday, Balamurugan met Priya in Coimbatore, urging her to end the relationship and reunite with him. Priya refused to return.”
According to police, Isakki Raja sent Balamurugan an intimate photo of Priya and himself, which enraged Balamurugan. He allegedly arrived at the hostel in an inebriated state, confronted Priya, and, during the heated argument, pulled out a sickle from his bag and killed her.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
