A Mahila Court on Tuesday sentenced 38-year-old Chennai man Chinnaraj to undergo life imprisonment for killing four women, including a minor, and having sexual intercourse with their bodies. When the crime came to light in 2016, it was discovered that he had lived in the same house along with his victims’ decomposing bodies for at least two days.
The neighbours alerted the police when a foul smell began emanating from the house in which Chinnaraj had been living with the corpses. The police learnt upon investigations that Chinnaraj had stabbed them on June 20, 2016 and an FIR was filed for murder and unnatural offences under the IPC. Chinnaraj was reportedly picked up near Marina beach a couple of days later.
The accused was identified as a native of Bargur in Krishnagiri district where he had run a sweet stall.
According to a report in The New Indian Express, one of the victims was in a relationship with the accused and moved in to live with him in Chennai along with her three daughters. The family lived in a small rented space in Royapettah, Chennai. When Chinnaraj allegedly demanded the woman to allow him to marry her youngest daughter, their relationship turned sour, and he killed all four of them.
The Hindu reports that Chinnaraj was unhappy that he was not allowed into the house in the nights for more than a month.
Even while Chinnaraj’s counsel denied all allegations during the trial, Mahila Court judge N Manjula dismissed all arguments since the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Chinnaraj was awarded life imprisonment on four counts that would run concurrently along with a fine of Rs 20,000 for his crime.