What was initially believed to be a tragic death caused by a snakebite has now been exposed as a chilling case of murder, with a 56-year-old government school lab assistant allegedly killed by his own sons to claim insurance money worth Rs 3 crore.
Police said the deceased, E.P. Ganesan, was a resident of Podaturpet near Thiruthani in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, and worked as a laboratory assistant at a government school. In October, his sons Mohanraj and Hariharan informed the Podaturpet police that Ganesan had died of a snakebite while sleeping at home.
A case was registered, but suspicion arose during the investigation when police discovered that Ganesan had as many as 11 insurance policies, four of which were in his name. This unusual detail prompted investigators to probe deeper.
“The case took a decisive turn after an insurance company lodged a complaint with North Zone IGP Asra Garg, flagging irregularities in the insurance claims submitted by Mohanraj and Hariharan. The insurance company urged police to conduct a thorough investigation,” said a police officer.
Following this, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of Gummidipoondi DSP Jayashree. “During sustained interrogation, the two brothers initially feigned ignorance. However, as questioning intensified, they allegedly broke down and confessed to killing their father to claim the insurance payout,” said the officer.
According to police, the brothers had meticulously planned the murder and enlisted the help of four friends — Balaji, Prashanth, Naveen Kumar, and Dinakaran.
“The group decided to use a snake to make the death appear natural. Investigations revealed that the accused first attempted to kill Ganesan by making a cobra bite his leg, but the attempt failed as it did not prove fatal. Undeterred, they later procured a three-foot-long common krait, one of the most venomous snake species, for Rs 1.5 lakh. The snake was then made to bite Ganesan on his neck while he was asleep, leading to his death as the venom paralysed vital organs,” said another police officer.
To destroy evidence and avoid suspicion, the accused allegedly killed the snake inside the house after the fatal bite. Police said one of the arrested men was skilled in handling snakes.
The SIT arrested all six accused and seized a luxury car and six mobile phones from them as part of the investigation.
Confirming the details, Thiruvallur District Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Shukla said, “The accused bought a three-foot-long common krait for Rs 1.5 lakh to execute their plan. To cover up the crime, they killed the snake after it bit Ganesan. One of the six arrested was experienced in handling snakes.”
Police said further investigation is underway to examine financial transactions and any additional conspirators involved in the case.
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