A 39-year-old-history sheeter from Kalyanipuram village near Kadayam, who had been reported absconding, was arrested by Uthumalai police at Kavalakurichi in Tenkasi district on Sunday.
According to an official, M. Balamurugan, 39, has over 90 criminal cases, including robbery, dacoity, and murder for gain, registered against him in several police stations across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
A few months ago, he was convicted in a theft case and lodged in central prison in Thrissur. In November, Pandalkudi police of Virudhunagar district took him into custody from Thrissur jail and produced him before the Virudhunagar district court. However, while escorting him back to Thrissur prison, he escaped from police custody. The police launched a search.
A few weeks ago, the police received a tip that he was hiding near Kalyani Amman temple near Kadayam. During the midnight search, five police personnel got stranded atop a rocky peak and were rescued after a long struggle, but Balamurugan could not be traced.
On December 8, his wife Josephinal, 36, allegedly gave poison to her two children and she too consumed. She died on December 16, despite medical treatment while the children were discharged. Suspecting that Balamurugan might come to see his wife’s body at the Tirunelveli Government Medical College and Hospital, the police mounted a surveillance.
In the last few days, based on the repeated intelligence, a vehicle check was carried out at Kavalakurichi area. During the vehicle check, Uthumalai police apprehended Balamurugan along with his brother M. Mahesh, 23. The police seized ganja, a sickle, and a two-wheeler from them.
They were produced before Tenkasi district court on the same day and remanded in judicial custody at Palayamakottai central prison.
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Published – December 29, 2025 09:08 pm IST
