Chennai:
A 23-year-old male nurse has been arrested for allegedly murdering his 26-year-old woman colleague in Tamil Nadu's Erode district and stealing her four-sovereign gold thali chain.
Uthira, who hailed from Ramanathapuram district, worked as a nurse at a private hospital in Pallagoundampalayam in Tiruppur district. She went missing on October 15, following which her husband filed a police complaint.
Her body was found near Vijayamangalam toll gate in Perundurai on October 17. Police registered a murder case and identified the suspect as Saravanan, a colleague of the victim.
"With the intention of stealing her jewellery, he took the woman on his two-wheeler, murdered her at the spot and stole her wedlock," the Erode district police said in a statement.
Saravanan was arrested on October 19. Police said the stolen jewellery had been recovered and the accused was produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
The murder has now figured in the wider political debate over law and order in Tamil Nadu, with DMK president MK Stalin targeting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over his handling of the police department.
"The Chief Minister is in charge of the department only in name. Just as he has distributed the responsibilities of several departments to other ministers, has he outsourced the police department too?" Stalin asked.
He alleged that repeated violent attacks and drug seizures by central agencies reflected the Chief Minister's lack of attention to policing.
"Chief Minister sir, your negligence is costing lives. You who said 'Give up drugs, take up sports' should first give up rest and take charge of your department," Stalin said, referring to Vijay's anti-drug campaign.
Stalin also cited the murder of a man in Sivaganga district on Sunday, who was out on bail, questioning whether those released on bail were being monitored. Police attribute the killing to a revenge motive. They had opposed bail for the accused in court, citing his alleged involvement in at least a dozen other cases, including a double murder.
The DMK chief also cited the recent seizure of around 135 kg of methamphetamine allegedly linked to a TVK functionary, who has since been expelled from the ruling party. The seizure has added to the opposition's questions over the government's response to drug trafficking.
The three cases have given Stalin fresh ammunition to question the TVK government's handling of law and order, bringing together concerns over crimes against women, the monitoring of those out on bail and the drug menace.
The political attack comes against the backdrop of the 2026 Assembly election, in which crimes against women and the drug menace were major issues raised against the then ruling DMK. TVK emerged as the single-largest party and formed the government under Vijay.
With photos of the alleged smuggler with Vijay being shared on social media, the ruling TVK says backdrop checks can't be done on those taking pictures with its leaders and however the party has swiftly expelled Boobalan, who has been arrested for attempting to smuggle Methamphetamine to Sri Lanka.
The party is yet to respond to MK Stakin. Vijay, however, recently argued in the Assembly that rising crime could not be attributed solely to the few months of his government, blaming the previous DMK regime for failing to curb drug abuse. He said his government would take steps to check crime.
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