Latest news with #Abirami
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- The Hindu
2018 Abirami case: How a T.N. court reasoned against death penalty for mother who poisoned her two children in Chennai
The story so far: The Kancheepuram Principal District and Sessions Court on July 24, 2025 convicted V. Abirami of Kundrathur near Chennai for having killed her six-year-old son V. Ajay and four-year-old daughter V. Karnika. The court was convinced that the woman had drugged her children to death at the instance of a biriyani outlet employee Sundaram alias R. Meenakshisundaram with whom she had an extra-marital affair. Though there was no eye-witness to the crime, the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against both the convicts through a strong and unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence. Yet, the trial court did not award the maximum punishment of death sentence to the convicts by quoting Mahatma Gandhi to have said that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. What was the prosecution's case? According to the Kundrathur police, the prime convict Abirami had married bank loan mediator Vijay on January 8, 2011 after falling in love with him and obtaining the consent of both families. The married couple had two kids and the family lived in a rented house on the first floor of a building at Moondram Kattalai near Chennai. In 2018, the woman had developed an intimacy with Meenakshisundaram and it led to strains in the marital relationship with her husband. About 20 days before killing her kids, Abirami had gone missing from her matrimonial home. While her husband, father and brother were clueless about her whereabouts, Ajay told them that she often visits the nearby residence of 'an uncle (Meenakshisundaram).' He also stated that he could identify that house. Using the kid's assistance, they tracked her down and brought her back home. Ever since this incident, she began expressing an hostile attitude towards her children and eventually killed them by offering milk laced with drugs, the prosecution claimed. In order to prove its case, the prosecution examined Vijay who told the court that Abirami had offered the poisoned milk to him too on the night of August 30, 2018. However, he refused to drink it since it did not taste good. Thereafter, he slept till 12 noon on August 31, 2018. He left the house for work only in the afternoon and returned early morning on September 1, 2018, after completing night duty. Then, he witnessed the bodies of his two kids on the bed and claimed that his wife was not at home. How did the police corroborate the evidence? A government doctor, who conducted postmortem on the two bodies, did not find any external injuries. Hence, she removed the stomach, intestine, liver and kidneys from both the bodies and sent them to clinical toxicology wing. A scientific officer from the toxicology wing confirmed the presence of the drugs Lorazepam and Alprazolam in the organs and therefore, it was concluded that the deaths had occurred due to systemic absorption of the drugs used for sleeping difficulties and anxiety disorders. The police promptly caught hold of the pharmacist from whom Abirami had purchased the drugs by producing a medical prescription. He had submitted the bill book and identified her. The police also examined a jeweller to whom Abirami had sold a gold chain for ₹17,000 on August 31, 2018 before she fled to Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari district. A supervisor at a two-wheeler stand at Koyambedu mofussil bus terminus had deposed that she had parked her two-wheeler at the stand on the evening of August 31, 2018 and handed over the CCTV footage too. Did the woman confess to have committed the crime? When the trial court questioned Abirami regarding the charges levelled against her by the police for the double murder of her own kids, she stoutly denied them and claimed to be innocent. It was her case that there was no direct evidence/eye witness to the crime and that she could not be convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Her counsel argued that the last seen theory (the deceased children having been seen alive last in the custody of their mother) could also not be pressed in the present case in order to impose the obligation on her, under Section 106 of the Evidence Act, to prove as to how did the kids die. Which of the factors convinced the trial court with respect to her guilt? The trial court pointed out that the prosecution had examined multiple independent witnesses such as the pharmacist, jeweller and two-wheeler stand supervisor to prove its case. Further, it had also examined a cook working at a women's hostel in Nagercoil. The cook had categorically deposed that Abirami had come to the hostel early morning on September 1, 2018 and requested for a room. On being told that the manager would come only by 5:30 pm, she intially agreed to wait till then. Thereafter, she took permission to take bath in one of the rooms and immediately fled from the hostel. The cook was a complete stranger to Abirami and there was no reason as to why she should give a false testimony against her, the trial court said. Further, a tenant who resides on the ground floor of the same building where Abirami too resides had deposed about the illicit relationship between the two convicts and claimed to have warned Abirami on a couple of occassions. After her arrest on September 2, 2018, police had taken Abirami to her Moondram Kattalai residence from where she had picked up the tablet strips, which she had used to kill the children, and handed them over to the investigating officer. Abirami's paternal uncle and another relative were witness to this recovery of the unused tablets from her residence, the trial court pointed out. A paternal uncle, being someone like a father figure, would again have no reason to give a false testimony against her, the trial court said. How did the trial court reason against capital punishment? The trial judge Pa.U. Chemmal agreed that it was a heartrending murder of two innocent kids by none other than their mother just because they were perceived to be an hindrance to her illicit relationship. He said, the two convicts certainly do not deserve any mercy. 'Yet, we should not hang them to death,' the judge said, and quoted Mahatma Gandhi to have said, man has no right to take away the life given by God. In the same breath, the judge said, a mere life sentence, which may entail the benefit of remission, might also not be an appropriate punishment for the offence committed by the convicts. Therefore, he ordered that the convicts must remain incarcerated till the end of their lives. That would be a judicially fair decision, he concluded.
The Hindu
25-07-2025
- The Hindu
Woman, partner sentenced to imprisonment until last breath for 2018 murder of her children
The Principal District Sessions Court in Kancheepuram on Thursday sentenced a woman and her partner to undergo imprisonment until their last breath for poisoning her two children — aged around six and four years — in 2018. According to the prosecution, the children were poisoned to death on Agneeswarar Temple Street in Moondram Kattalai on August 31, 2018. Their mother Abirami, in a criminal conspiracy with her partner Meenatchi Sundaram, gave them with milk laced with tablets used to treat anxiety disorders. Their motive was to eliminate the children, who they saw as a hindrance to their relationship. Abirami, who gained online fame as a local social media 'reels star' nicknamed 'Biryani Abirami' due to her food-related content, began an affair with Meenatchi Sundaram, a biryani delivery agent from a shop frequented by her family. Based on the information of Vijay, the children's father, a case was registered at the Kundrathur police station under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was later altered to include Sections 302, 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 109 (abetment) of the IPC and taken up for investigation. During the investigation, both Abirami and Meenatchi Sundaram were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. The investigation concluded promptly, and a final report was filed in court against the two. The case was taken up by the District Mahila Court, Chengalpattu, on November 29, 2018. During the trial, 25 witnesses were examined and 23 exhibits were marked. The case was later transferred to the Principal District Sessions Court, Kancheepuram. At the trial's conclusion, Principal District Sessions Judge Pa. U. Chemmal convicted both the accused. 'The crime committed by them is grave and cold-blooded. Life imprisonment alone is insufficient. They should undergo imprisonment until the last breath of their lives,' the judge said. They were also fined ₹15,000 each.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
Woman, partner get life in jail for killing her kids
Chennai: Principal district sessions court in Kancheepuram on Wednesday sentenced a woman and her partner to life imprisonment for murdering her two children in 2018. The court found Abirami, the mother of the deceased, and Meenakshi Sundaram, a biryani shop owner, guilty of conspiring to kill the children to continue their extramarital affair. The deceased were identified as Ajay, 7, and Karnika, 5 Police said on August 31, 2018, Abirami, residing in Kundrathur with her husband Vijay and two children, gave milk laced with sleeping pills to her children and later smothered them with a pillow. Vijay, who worked at a private bank, had stayed overnight at his office. When he returned the next morning, he found the door locked. He eventually managed to enter the house and found the children unconscious. They were declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. Following Vijay's complaint, Kundrathur police launched an investigation. Forensic reports revealed the presence of sleeping pills and evidence of suffocation. Investigators tracked Abirami's movement and found that she had fled with Sundaram, who used to deliver food to her residence. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai A police officer involved in the case said, "Abirami developed a relationship with Sundaram and viewed her kids as an obstacle. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Meet The Most Stunning Women In The World The Noodle Box Undo She planned the murder and executed it with his help. Sundaram procured the sleeping pills." Using Sundaram's phone records, police located both suspects in Nagercoil and brought them back to Chennai. During the trial, Abirami requested leniency, citing the time already served and her responsibility to care for her elderly parents. However, the court rejected her plea. Judge Semmal, delivering the verdict on July 24, held both accused guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment without the possibility of early release.
Hans India
24-07-2025
- Hans India
Tamil reel star Abirami sentenced to life for killing her two children
Chennai: In a landmark verdict, the Kancheepuram Principal Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced Abirami (32) and her lover Meenatchisundaram (35) to rigorous life imprisonment until death for the brutal murders of Abirami's two young children in 2018. The court also imposed fines on both convicts and came down heavily on the police for lapses during the trial. Principal Sessions Judge Beeju Chemmal found the duo guilty on multiple counts for the killings of Abirami's daughter Karnika (4) and son Ajay (6), rejecting Abirami's plea for leniency on grounds of her prolonged incarceration and responsibility toward her elderly parents. 'The crime is grave and cold-blooded. Life imprisonment alone is insufficient. They must remain behind bars for their natural lives,' the judge stated in the order. Both Abirami and Meenatchisundaram were awarded three consecutive life sentences under various sections of the IPC and fined Rs 15,000 each. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional three-year imprisonment. Abirami, who gained online popularity as a local social media 'reels star' nicknamed 'Biryani Abirami' due to her food-related content, began an extramarital affair with Meenatchisundaram, a biryani delivery agent from a shop frequently visited by her family. When the affair was exposed, Meenatchisundaram allegedly pressured her to eliminate her family. In September 2018, Abirami mixed sleeping pills into the family's milk. Her daughter Karnika died after consuming the drugged milk, while her husband Vijay (30) and son Ajay survived. The following morning, Abirami smothered the drowsy Ajay with a pillow. She hid the children's bodies, intending to kill Vijay upon his return from work. However, when Vijay came home late, she abandoned the plan and fled with Meenatchisundaram to Kanyakumari after pawning her wedding chain. The next day, Vijay discovered the bodies of his children and alerted the police, triggering the investigation. Judge Chemmal also strongly criticised the Kundrathur police inspector for delaying the court production of the accused, dismissing the officer's justification, citing his child's illness as unacceptable. The judge further reprimanded the police for allowing Abirami to appear in court with her face covered by a shawl, noting that it posed a suicide risk and must not be repeated. The sensational case, which began with biryani deliveries and spiralled into a double murder driven by an illicit affair, drew a large crowd to the Kancheepuram court as the verdict was pronounced.
New Straits Times
24-04-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Triple twin triumph: SMK Bukit Jambul celebrates 'straight As' SPM results
GEORGE TOWN: Three sets of twins at SMK Bukit Jambul here scored straight As in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year. They were among 49 students from the school who achieved straight As. The three sets of twins are Teh Zhe Huei and his sister Teh Zhe Yee; sisters Nurul Aliya Najwa Muhamad Rusli and Nurul Ain Nafisha Muhamad Rusli; and sisters K. Abirami and K. Abinaya - all aged 18. Their achievements were fuelled in part by a healthy dose of sibling rivalry. They also credited their parents and teachers for their success. The Teh siblings both scored nine straight As in Malay, English, Moral Studies, History, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Zhe Huei, who plans to further his studies in biology, earned eight A+ and one A, while Zhe Yee, who aspires to become a doctor or pharmacist, scored five A+ and four As. Although they have different interests and prefer to study individually, they support each other when needed. "We each have our own interests, so we do our own things. But sometimes, when there are things we don't understand, we consult each other. "We have a kind of friendly sibling rivalry. "We've always been together, but it looks like we may soon go our separate ways to pursue our dreams," said Zhe Huei, the younger of the twins. Sisters Nurul Aliya and Nurul Ain both intend to pursue law degree at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Nurul Aliya said their two best friends also scored straight As. "All of us studied together and even checked our results together today. We celebrated our success together too. "We can't wait to study together at university," she said. For Nurul Aliya, studying meant giving 100 per cent attention in class. She said teachers and friends often mistook her for her younger sister. "Those were fond memories," she said, adding that their father works at a hotel front desk, while their mother is a housewife. Nurul Aliya scored six A+ and two As, while Nurul Ain earned six A+, one A, and one A-. They sat for Malay, English, Islamic Studies, History, Mathematics, Science, Visual Arts Studies and Business. As for Abirami and Abinaya, their hard work paid off. Abinaya said they complemented each other in their studies — one excelled in subjects the other found challenging. They often studied together and helped one another. Abirami hopes to become an engineer, while her younger twin aspires to be a veterinarian, a dream since she was five. Their father is a doctor and their mother, a lecturer. Abinaya scored nine As, including one A+ and one A-, while Abirami scored nine As, including two A+ and three A-. The sisters took the same subjects as the Teh siblings. Speaking at a separate press conference earlier, state Education Department director Wan Sajiri Wan Hassan said 19,253 candidates sat for the SPM examination last year, including 17,417 under the Education Ministry. He said 819 candidates scored all A+, an increase of 64 from the 755 candidates in 2023. Penang also saw an improvement in its GPN (Grade Point Average), from 4.49 in 2023 to 4.39 in 2024. He added that SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan had shown four consecutive years of improvement.
