Farmer, wife sentenced to life for murder

A farmer and his wife have been sentenced to life by a local court for murdering a man in 2011 after he reportedly had an illicit relationship with the woman, a petty shop owner.
District Judge Ramathilagam also sentenced them to an additional five years RI 'for evading the truth' and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on them.
The sentences would run concurrently, the judge said.
The 21-year-old man was found dead in a forest area in Kolli hills in the district in February 2011.
The prosecution case was that Devachandran (41) suspected his wife Ponkodi of having an affair with Balakumar. He berated her for it and they decided to do away with him.

The couple invited the man to their house on February 17 2011 and gave him drink laced with poison. After he died, they dumped the body in the forest.
The case came up yesterday and the magistrate convicted them.