Date:17/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/17/stories/2004051709660300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Missing man's body identified

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MAY 16. The police are searching for a Madurai-based advocate in connection with the murder of his son-in-law. It was only on Friday that the advocate's daughter, a medical college student, approached the city police commissioner seeking protection from her father and an investigation to trace her missing husband.

The body of Pratap, husband of Rosaline Selvarasi, was found in a farm at Sennakuppam, off Vandalur - Wallajahbad Road, coming under the Manimangalam police limits of Kancheepuram district on April 13. However, his identity was established only on Saturday.

Rosaline, studying in a private medical college in Nepal, rushed to Chennai after her friends here told her that Pratap was missing from his house since April 12. The Selaiyur police said that on April 19, they received a complaint from Amitabh, brother of Pratap, stating that the latter was missing.

Since then, Rosaline sent several petitions to senior officials of the Chengai East district police but they were unable to trace her husband. As she felt that the police did not take quick and proper action on her complaint, Rosaline approached the commissioner.

It was only after reading newspaper reports about the Rosaline's petition to the commissioner did the Manimangalam and the Selaiyur police began to act quickly.

Yesterday, personnel in the two stations began to share information about the identity of the body found on April 13. The Manimangalam police had taken pictures of the body and Rosaline confirmed that the victim was her husband.

The Manimangalam police said that on the morning of April 13, villagers of Sennakuppam informed them about the body. Though they registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, they were unable to establish the victim's identity.

The same day, the body was sent to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital for post-mortem. After it was kept in the mortuary for more than a week, the body was buried as no one came forward to claim it.

The girl is at present staying in a home run by a women's organisation at Kolathur.

A native of Madurai, Rosaline married Pratap at the Besant Nagar church in April last year.