vetrimaran nandhini case

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Chennai techie murder: Was it a case of love gone wrong?

In a disturbing incident, 26-year-old Vetrimaran lured his friend R Nandhini, employed as a techie, to a lonely spot, tied her up, slashed her many times and burnt her alive in a suburb of Chennai. The cops say the accused was obsessed with the victim and acted out when she refused his advances

Love can be deadly. Even as people celebrated Christmas and are enjoying the festive season, here’s a horrific tale of a woman techie being chained, slashed and then burnt alive by her former classmate in a southern suburb of Chennai.

The police has arrested 26-year-old Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheswari, who underwent a sex change operation for the unthinkable torture and murder of R Nandhini. They have revealed that the crime stems from the fact that the accused seemed to be over-possessive.

Here’s what we know of the case – believed to be a love story gone awry.

Murder most foul

On Saturday (24 December), 26-year-old Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheswari under the pretext of throwing Nandhini a surprise birthday party, lured her to a lonely place in Ponmar in Thalambur police limits and blindfolded her.

According to the police, the transsexual man then chained Nandhini’s hands and feet as a “surprise,” slashed her neck and wrists, emptied a can of petrol and torched her before fleeing from the spot.

Gowtham Goyal, DCP Pallikaranai said, “Around 7:00 to 7:15 pm, he took her to a vacant plot near Ponmar Road. As per the preliminary investigation, he would have blindfolded her under the pretext of presenting a gift. After that, he chained her arms and legs before cutting her wrists and ankles. After that, he poured kerosene on her and left her immolating.”

Investigations reveal that Nandhini and Vetrimaran were old friends and, in fact, studied together while they were back in Madurai. The police investigation states that Nandhini chose to remain friends with Vetrimaran even after Vetrimaran underwent a sex-change operation. Both of them were employed by a private IT firm in Thoraipakkam, which led to a further intertwining of their lives.

Authorities believe that the murder arises from Vetrimaran’s obsession with Nandhini. Vetrimaran, it is believed, had begun arguing with Nandhini if he saw her talking to other men.

Reports state that on 23 December, Vetrimaran called up Nandhini to say that he would not quarrel with her and asked her to meet him as he planned “a surprise” for her birthday. Nandhini agreed to meet Vetrimaran, not knowing what would come next.

The police have revealed that the crime was well-planned and he had plotted the murder for a week.

The incident came to light after locals noticed smoke coming from an old building near Ponmar near Thalambur in Chennai around 7.30 pm on Saturday. When the locals saw smoke emanating from the vacant plot, they went closer to investigate and found a woman lying unconscious with her hands and feet tied and her body burnt with petrol. And even though they immediately rushed into action, calling the ambulance, she succumbed to her wounds in the hospital.

Notably, when Nandhini was rushed to the hospital, she was able to utter a phone number and when officials dialed it, Vetrimaran answered the call and said he was her friend. A police official said, “He came to the spot and helped the police take her to the hospital. It was only later during interrogation that he confessed to his crime.”

The authorities further added that Vetrimaran displayed no signs of remorse for the act he had perpetrated. In fact, in his statement to the police, he said that he was upset over Nandhini refusing to be in a relationship with him. Vetrimaran had gone through a sex-change process at a private hospital a few years back, however Nandhini told him that they had no future together.

Old friends

Nandhini and Vetrimaran’s friendship went way back. They were friends in Madurai since Class I.

After school, Vetrimaran began identifying as a man, owing to which many people cut off contact with him, but not Nandhini. Nandhini’s family reveal that she did not want to hurt her friend and chose to remain in touch with him.

Amudha, Nandhini’s elder sister was quoted as telling the DTNext , “Whenever Vetrimaran would visit Madurai, he would visit our home. I’ve often fed him with my own hands.”

In 2019, Vetrimaran underwent a sex-change operation and left Madurai. Around eight months ago, Nandhini, a BSc graduate in information technology, had got a job in Chennai and had moved to the metro where she and Vetrimaran worked together.

Nandhini’s family, who is grief-stricken by the entire incident, said they couldn’t believe that Vetrimaran had perpetrated such a crime. Nandhini’s father told DTNext , “My daughter had continued the friendship with Vetrimaran on a humanitarian basis. We, as a family, did not have any problem with that.”

He also said, “If Nandhini had told us there was a problem here, we would have definitely helped her in sorting it out. Being empathetic and supportive cost my daughter’s life.”

The accused, Vetrimaran, is now in judicial custody and has been charged with murder. In the meantime, the police also released Nandhini’s body to her family on Sunday. Nandhini’s family is inconsolable. One of them was even quoted as saying, “We saw her burnt body with hands and legs being chained. Is that a way to die? It’s difficult to come to terms with the way her life ended in such a cruel way.”

With inputs from agencies

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Chennai: 27-year-old tortures, burns female techie to death; detained

Image used for representational purpose only.

CHENNAI: A 27-year-old trans man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly slashing a woman’s wrists and ankles and setting her on fire at a vacant plot at Ponmar near Thalambur late Saturday evening. Police said the accused, Vetrimaran, had blindfolded the woman and bound her limbs.

The victim was identified as R Nandhini, a 27-year-old software engineer. According to her family, she had been friends with the accused since high school in Madurai.

While Vetrimaran resides at Mappedu in Tiruvallur district, Nandhini was staying at her aunt’s house in Kannagi Nagar and working in a private IT company in Nungambakkam.

A police officer said that Vetrimaran had become possessive of Nandhini and did not want her to have other male friends. “He had started quarrelling with her over this for the past six to eight months and she stopped talking to him. As she was frequently seen with a male colleague, Vetrimaran plotted her murder,” the officer said.

On Saturday, the eve of Nandhini’s birthday, Vetrimaran contacted Nandhini and told her that he would not quarrel with her and asked her to meet him once as he had planned a surprise for her birthday, the police said.

The duo met on Saturday and Vetrimaran took her to various places, including a temple. “Around 7 to 7.15 pm, he took her to a vacant plot near Ponmar Road.

We suspect he blindfolded her under the pretext of presenting a gift. While her eyes were closed, he bound her arms and legs with two chains and locks. He then slashed her wrists and ankles before immolating her and then he left the spot,” the police officer said.

Hearing her screams, passersby rushed to the spot and found her to have sustained severe burn injuries. They called for an ambulance and the police were informed. Nandhini managed to give them a phone number. When it was dialled, Vetrimaran answered the call and said he was her friend. “He came to the spot and helped the police take her to the hospital. However, during interrogation, he confessed to the crime,” the police officer said.

Both Nandhini and Vetrimaran had informed her colleague of their plans which helped the police zero in on Vetri’s role, the officer added.

Nandhini succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

On Sunday, Nandhini’s elder sister, who was present at the Chromepet Government Hospital with her family, expressed shock at Nandhini’s death. “Nandhini, Vetrimaran, who was then known by his birth name, and another girl, were very close during their school days. They studied together in a girl’s school till Class 12. The three of them went to separate colleges but stayed in touch. While they were in college, Vetrimaran told them about his gender identity as a man. This led to problems in the other girl’s family and they stopped talking to him. Nandhini still remained friends and stayed in touch with him,” she said.

After completing college in Madurai, Nandhini moved to Chennai for work, her sister added.

“In 2019, Vetrimaran’s family cut ties with him and sent him out of the house. A few years ago, he moved to Bengaluru and started working there. After saving money, he came to Chennai for a gender affirmation procedure. He would constantly update Nandhini about everything. We even asked about Vetrimaran the last time Nandhini came home on leave,” she further recollected.

Nandini’s father said, “If Nandhini had told us there was a problem here, we would have definitely helped her in sorting it out. Being empathetic and supportive cost my daughter’s life.”

“When we initially got a call from the police saying that Nandhini had been immolated, we tried reaching out to Vetrimaran first because he was the only person close to her other than family. He kept rejecting the calls but later a policeman answered saying that Nandhini was dead,” the sister said.

Nandhini’s body was handed over to her family around 4 pm on Sunday, her birthday.

Cops reject allegation that trans man was assaulted

Meanwhile, LGBTQIA+ activists in Chennai raised concerns that police had questioned another trans man and his girlfriend later in the night. L Ramakrishnan, vice president, SAATHII, said that when they had gone to meet the other trans man at the police station, he and the suspect (Vetrimaran) appeared to have been beaten up.

“We have submitted a representation to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kelambakkam saying that the investigative process should be carried out without affecting their dignity or endangering their lives,” he said.

He pointed out that an advisory from the home ministry says a separate enclosure or ward for transgender inmates must be provided and it should be separate from male and female enclosures or wards.

“We have been assured that this would be provided in Vetri’s case,” Ramakrishnan said.

A senior police officer said it was true they had taken a cis woman and another trans man, who were Vetri’s roommates, for questioning late at night but maintained that a woman lawyer had been present then.

However, he said allegations of the trans men being assaulted by police were false.

“We were looking to make a breakthrough in the case without wasting any time. They were taken in for probe but they were not assaulted and no transphobic slurs were used against them,” the official said.

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Accused murdered Chennai techie out of jealousy, say police

Preliminary probe has revealed that vetrimaran was apparently jealous that the victim was getting close to another colleague, said a police officer.

CHENNAI: A Madurai woman, was chained, slashed with a blade and set afire allegedly by her childhood friend as he was “jealous that she was talking to other men”, police said on Monday.

R Nandini, a 26-year-old software engineer, was assaulted and set on fire by Vetrimaran, said police

R Nandini, a 26-year-old software engineer, was assaulted and set on fire by Vetrimaran, who had undergone a sex reassignment surgery.

The 27-year-old accused — known as Pandi Maheshwari before the surgery — and the victim went to an all-girls school together and worked at the same company in Chennai.

The accused has told police he went through a sex reassignment surgery with the purpose of marrying the woman, officers said.

Preliminary probe has revealed that Vetrimaran was apparently jealous that the victim was getting close to another colleague, said a police officer, asking not to be named. “The accused underwent a sex reassignment surgery a few months ago with the sole reason to marry the victim but she did not reciprocate his feelings,” the officer added.

On the night of December 23, Vetrimaran called Nandini for a meeting to a secluded place in Ponmar, located about 15 km away from Chennai, on the pretext of giving her a birthday surprise.

The victim was later chained up and slashed with a blade, before she was set on fire.

Locals found Nandini with burn injuries and informed police, who rushed her to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, an officer familiar with the matter said.

“When we reached the spot, she was conscious and gave us Vetrimaran’s contact number... Initially, he came to identify Nandini but later disappeared,” the officer added.

He was nabbed on Sunday from Tambaram and produced before a local court which remanded him in 15-day judicial custody.

Another senior police officer familiar with the probe said: “Vetrimaran became over-possessive when he noticed Nandini talking to other male friends. The two also had an argument over this.” “He has confessed to the murder and showed us the weapons and the vehicle he used to commit the murder,” the officer added.

(With agency inputs)

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Woman techie chained, slashed with blade, burnt alive by friend in Chennai

The victim, nandini, was chained up and her wrists, feet and neck were slashed with a blade by her childhood friend, vetrimaran alias pandi maheshwari, before she was set on fire late on saturday..

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A 24-year-old IT professional was chained, slashed and burnt alive by her childhood friend, a trans person, on her birthday on the outskirts of Chennai, police said.

The victim, Nandini, was chained up and her wrists, feet and neck were slashed with a blade by her friend, Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheshwari, before she was set on fire late on Saturday. The accused was arrested and sent to judicial custody.

Police said Vetrimaran was angry about Nandini drifting away from him and getting purportedly close to others. On the pretext of giving her a birthday surprise, he took Nandini to a secluded place and attacked her, they added.

Locals found the half-burnt body of Nandini and immediately informed the police. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

According to the police, Nandini and her friend Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheshwari were natives of Madurai and studied together till Class 10.

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Over-possessiveness could have led Vetrimaran to kill Nandhini, say police

Chennai: Being empathetic appears to have cost R Nandhini, a software engineer from Madurai, her life. Little did she or her family suspect that her once-school classmate would go to the extent of murdering her.

Her classmate Vetrimaran, a trans-man, made her believe that he would give her a surprise on her birthday eve on Saturday and convinced her to accompany him to a deserted place in Ponmar in Thalambur police limits.

He then blindfolded her and chained her hands and feet as a "surprise," slashed her neck and wrists, emptied a can of petrol and torched her before fleeing from the spot, said police.

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Hearing her cries, a few passers-by alerted the police. However, before she was rushed in an ambulance to the Chromepet Government hospital for treatment, Nandhini gave out the mobile number of Vetrimaran, police said.

"Initially, he came to identify Nandhini and had accompanied her to the GH but later disappeared," a police officer said. He was, however, arrested on Sunday and later remanded in judicial custody.

Police investigation revealed Vetrimaran, 26, then Pandi Maheswari, studied with Nandhini at a school in Madurai. Nandhini had continued her friendship on humanitarian grounds even after Maheswari changed the name to Vetrimaran.

He was in regular touch with her. He got incensed when she started avoiding him. "He became over-possessive when he noticed her talking to other male friends. There was an argument between the two over this," said a police official.

On December 23, on Nandhini's birthday eve, Vetrimaran called her to say he would not quarrel with her and asked her to meet him as he planned "a surprise" for her birthday.

After presenting her new clothes, he took her to an orphanage near Tambaram and made a donation. On the way home, he took Nandhini to Ponmar where he blindfolded her, tied her limbs, inflicted cut injuries on her neck and wrists, doused petrol, torched her, and fled.

After completing her studies, Nandhini moved to Chennai, got employed in a software firm and resided at her paternal uncle's home in Kannagi Nagar here.

While Vetrimaran, residing at Mappedu was in regular touch with her. "Had Nandhini told us there was a problem, we would have helped her. Being empathetic cost Nandhini her life," her father said.

Her elder sister said the family got a call from the police saying her sister had been set afire and that she was dead. On Sunday evening, the police handed over Nandhini's body to her family on her birthday.

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Woman Techie Blindfolded, Chained, Burnt Alive By Transgender Friend: Cops

Investigation revealed that pandi maheswari, 26, studied with nandhini at a school in madurai..

Nandhini has been residing at her relative's house here. (Representational)

A transexual man who burnt alive his childhood classmate - a software engineer - in a gruesome manner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, police said on Monday.

The suspect identified as Vetrimaran, a trans man who had changed his name from Pandi Maheswari, blindfolded, chained and burnt R Nandhini alive, under the pretext of surprising her on her birthday eve on Saturday, at Thalambur near Kelambakkam, Chennai's southern suburb, they said.

The victim, a 25-year-old software engineer from Madurai and working here, did not suspect his intentions, as Vetrimaran said he wanted to surprise Nandhini ahead of her birthday.

Nandhini has been residing at her relative's house here.

Investigation revealed that Pandi Maheswari, 26, studied with Nandhini at a school in Madurai. Nandhini had continued her friendship on humanitarian grounds even after Maheswari changed her name to Vetrimaran.

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The two had worked in a company here, they added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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COMMENTS

Chennai techie murder: Was it a case of love gone wrong?
In a disturbing incident, 26-year-old Vetrimaran lured his friend R Nandhini, employed as a techie, to a lonely spot, tied her up, slashed her many times and burnt her alive in a suburb of Chennai. The cops say the accused was obsessed with the victim and acted out when she refused his advances
Chennai: 27-year-old tortures, burns female techie to death ...
CHENNAI: A 27-year-old trans man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly slashing a woman’s wrists and ankles and setting her on fire at a vacant plot at Ponmar near Thalambur late Saturday evening....
Accused murdered Chennai techie out of jealousy, say police
On the night of December 23, Vetrimaran called Nandini for a meeting to a secluded place in Ponmar, located about 15 km away from Chennai, on the pretext of giving her a birthday surprise....
Chennai: Woman techie chained, slashed with blade, burnt ...
The victim, Nandini, was chained up and her wrists, feet and neck were slashed with a blade by her friend, Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheshwari, before she was set on fire late on Saturday. The accused was arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Murder of woman software engineer in Ponmar was preplanned by ...
Vetrimaran R.Nandhini Police said the murder of a 24-year-old woman software engineer was pre-planned and executed by the suspect, now in custody — her classmate, and close friend for long.
Tamil Nadu youth who opted for sex change to marry techie ...
The perpetrator, Vetrimaran (previously known as Pandi Murugeshwari), had undergone a sex change to marry the victim, R Nandhini. They were former classmates in a girls school in Madurai.
Over-possessiveness could have led Vetrimaran to kill ...
After presenting her new clothes, he took her to an orphanage near Tambaram and made a donation. On the way home, he took Nandhini to Ponmar where he blindfolded her, tied her limbs, inflicted cut injuries on her neck and wrists, doused petrol, torched her, and fled.
techie murder | Trans classmate Vetrimaran's over ...
Her classmate Vetrimaran, a trans-man, made her believe that he would give her a surprise on her birthday eve on Saturday and convinced her to accompany him to a deserted place in Ponmar in Thalambur police limits.
Woman Techie Blindfolded, Chained, Burnt Alive By Transgender ...
The suspect identified as Vetrimaran, a trans man who had changed his name from Pandi Maheswari, blindfolded, chained and burnt R Nandhini alive, under the pretext of surprising her on her...
Murder | Transgender man arrested for burning alive his ...
The suspect identified as Vetrimaran, a trans man who had changed his name from Pandi Maheswari, blindfolded, chained and burnt R Nandhini alive, under the pretext of surprising her on her birthday eve on Saturday, at Thalambur near Kelambakkam, Chennai’s southern suburb, they said.