In separate incidents, two people, including a woman, were murdered in the city since Tuesday night.
Mahesh Raj, a taxi driver murdered his 37-year-old wife at their residence near 16th C Main, 6th Cross in Vyalikaval police station limits. The deceased has been identified as Chandrakala alias Roopa. The couple had been married for 12 years and had two daughters.

According to the police, the accused was an alcoholic and quarreled with his wife over petty issues. He would harass her physically and mentally every day. The accused had allegedly sold her ‘mangalsutra’ a few months ago and since then, his wife had been asking him to buy her a new one. The couple would quarrel over this issue often. On Monday night, the couple again quarrelled over the same issue and the accused slept in his taxi itself.

On Tuesday afternoon, he again picked up a quarrel with her and, in a fit of rage, smothered her to death. The incident came to light after the neighbors informed the police. Vyalikaval police have registered a case against Mahesh Raj, who is absconding. In another incident, a 19-year-old youth allegedly stabbed his friend in a graveyard in Srirampura police limits on Tuesday evening. Police have identified the deceased as Vishwas and the accused as Sharath alias Kulla.

According to police, both friends had gone to Harischandra Ghat crematorium on Tuesday evening and had consumed alcohol. As per the preliminary investigation, police suspect that the duo got into a fight over a petty issue and the accused allegedly stabbed his friend and fled the scene. Local residents, who noticed the body of the deceased, shifted him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Srirampura police have registered a case and are investigating.