Live-in Couple Locked Inside Hut, Burnt Alive in Tamil Nadu Village; Police Probe Suspicious Double Murder

A shocking incident has been reported from Pakkiripalayam village near Chengam in Tamil Nadu, where a couple in a live-in relationship were allegedly locked inside their hut and set on fire, leading to their deaths. The deceased have been identified as 53-year-old P. Sakthivel, a farmer, and his partner S. Amrutham (40).

The incident came to light after police received information about a hut fire in the village. When the Chengam police reached the spot, they found the hut completely gutted and two bodies burnt beyond recognition inside. A forensic team and dog squad were immediately called to the scene, and postmortem examinations were conducted on-site, said Chengam Inspector M. Selvaraj.

Preliminary investigation revealed that both Sakthivel and Amrutham were married earlier but had been living separately from their respective spouses. Sakthivel had separated from his wife, S. Tamilarasi, three years ago. The couple has two sons and a daughter, who currently live with their mother in Bengaluru. Amrutham had also separated from her husband and has two sons and a daughter.

According to police, Sakthivel’s daughter had visited him on Thursday evening and had dinner with him before leaving around 9 pm. Later that night, neighbours living near the hut woke up after sensing a strong smell of burning and discovered that the hut was on fire. They immediately informed the police.

Inspector Selvaraj said the couple had been living together for the past three years in a small 10x10 feet hut built on a three-acre plot of land taken on lease from villagers. “We have registered a case of suspicious death and are investigating the incident from all angles. We are also examining whether the estranged partners of the deceased had any role in the crime,” he said.

Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events and identify those responsible.