CHENNAI: This is a Vikram-Vethal conundrum. A man was
convicted
in a domestic violence case and
Supreme Court
confirmed the sentence. In the police and court records, the name and photo are of Pannerselvam. But now it turns out that Pannerselvam is the criminal's brother, and has nothing to do with the case. The man convicted is innocent, and the real culprit is missing.
Palani, an advocate clerk, befriended a woman, Lourdu Mary, in 2002 and they began a live-in relationship at a rented house at Trustpuram here.
He told her his name was Panneerselvam but that his family called him Palani. The couple had two children. Trouble started after he attacked the woman and one child after a domestic quarrel 15 years ago.
Based on Lourdu Mary's complaint, Kodambakkam police booked Palani for attempt to murder and for offences under the Juvenile Justice Act. In her complaint, Mary named her husband as Panneerselvam. Those were pre-Aadhaar card days. On his arrest, Palani submitted his elder brother Panneerselvam's photograph and identity documents for police records, said Kodambakkam inspector of police Perundurai R Murugan. "As Palani and his brother looked alike, the then police officers didn't suspect anything and Palani became Panneerselvam in their first information report (FIR)."
Palani guilty, Pannerselvam convict
He attended trial regularly, and in 2018 a sessions court in the city sentenced him to five years in jail and a fine of ₹10,000.
In 2019, hearing his appeal,
Madras high court
reduced the jail term to three years but retained the fine. He moved Supreme Court, which confirmed the Madras high court order earlier this year.
The apex court also ordered
convict Panneerselvam
to surrender before the trial court. Palani, however,
absconded
.
The trial court issued a
non-bailable warrant
against him.
West Mambalam assistant commissioner of police
K Vijayan said,
"After reviewing the pending warrants, a team was assigned to track the absconding convict." A police team led by inspector Perundurai Murugan finally tracked Panneerselvam to Kancheepuram. That's when they found out that the Panneerselvam in their records was Palani's elder brother.
Palani had fooled everyone - his wife, police and the courts - and vanished.
While they are searching for Palani, it is not clear how police will arrest him even if he is traced. Though Palani is the offender, court papers show Panneerselvam as the suspect who was tried and convicted.
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