Incidents of death due to snake bite in the villages adjacent to the forests located in the northern region of Tamil Nadu are not new. However, the death of a lab assistant of a government school in Pottaturpettai village near Tiruttani here surprised the police. At first it was considered an ordinary snakebite, but the investigation uncovered a sensational murder case. The death of 56-year-old EP Ganesan was not an accident, but a conspiracy hatched by his two sons. Police claim that both the sons deliberately killed their father by getting bitten by a snake, so that they could get the insurance amount of Rs 3 crore and a government job. In this case, six people including both the sons have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Ganesan was a lab assistant at Potatturpettai Government Girls Higher Secondary School and lived with his family at Nallathanneer Kulam, Podatturpet in Tiruvallur district. His sons Mohanraj (29 years) and Hariharan (26 years) took him to Podatturpettai Government Hospital on the night of 22 October, where doctors confirmed the death as snakebite. The family said that the snake bit him while sleeping in the house.
How did the twist come in the story?
Podatturpettai police registered a case of unnatural death and started investigation, but the twist in the story came when the insurance company expressed doubt on the family’s claim. There were a total of 11 life insurance policies in Ganesan’s name, out of which four were taken in the last six months. In this way the total amount reached Rs 3 crore, which did not match the earnings of an ordinary government employee and the financial condition of the family. The insurance company complained about this to the police, after which the matter took a new turn.
Tiruvallur Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Shukla constituted a special investigation team under the leadership of Deputy SP C Jayashree on December 6. The team included inspectors, sub-inspectors and field officers. In the investigation, call records, mobile chats and bank transactions of the sons were scrutinized. Then it was revealed that the family was going through financial crisis, there were many loans and suspicious transactions had taken place before the death.
How did Ganesan survive the cobra bite?
Police found that Ganesan had been bitten by a snake a week before his death, but he had survived. According to the police, this was the first unsuccessful attempt at murder. Mohanraj and Hariharan had allegedly released a cobra into the house, which bit Ganesan on his leg. Neighbors took him to the hospital and he survived. But the sons did not abandon the plan.
Police claim that on the morning of October 22, they arranged for another deadly snake, Russell’s Viper or Krait. This snake was brought from the forests of Manavur. The web of conspiracy between these two sons was quite complex. According to the police, Mohanraj was contacted by his former colleague Balaji (28 years), who was related to Prashant (35 years) of Manavur village. Prashant included Dinakaran (43 years), a snake catcher from Mosur village in Ranipet district. Naveenkumar (28 years, Manavur) handled the payment and coordination. The snake was brought in a sack to Ganesan’s house by car. While sleeping at night, Ganesan’s neck was bitten three times by a snake, so that the poison could spread quickly.
How did the sons destroy the evidence?
According to the Indian Express report, an officer said, ‘It was a deliberate attack to ensure death.’ Police say that Dhinakaran killed the snake after confirming its death, so that the evidence would be destroyed and it would look like an accident. Then there was ‘unnecessary delay’ in taking him to the hospital. Investigation revealed that Mohanraj gave Rs 1.5 lakh for this operation… Rs 90,000 to Naveen Kumar through Google Pay and Rs 60,000 in cash. This amount was distributed among other accused.
After the death, the sons made an insurance claim, but the company’s suspicions exposed the conspiracy. In a 10-day investigation, the team arrested all six accused: Mohanraj, Hariharan, Balaji, Prashant, Naveenkumar and Dhinakaran. Police seized a car, motorcycle and several mobile phones. Everyone was presented in the court and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is ongoing.
