Tamil Nadu Police have concluded that the death of a senior woman officer in a fire at a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) office in Madurai in December was a case of murder and not an accident, arresting a male colleague for allegedly setting her on fire after dousing her with petrol.
Police have arrested T Ram, an Assistant Administrative Officer at the LIC office on West Perumal Maistry Street, in connection with the killing of 54-year-old Kalyani Nambi. The blaze, which initially was suspected to have been caused by an air-conditioner short circuit, had claimed her life after she was severely charred.
Investigators now say that Ram allegedly poured petrol inside Kalyani Nambi’s cabin and deliberately set it ablaze. According to the police, the motive was to silence her after she reportedly exposed irregularities in insurance claim settlements and sought action against him. Kalyani Nambi had been transferred to the Madurai office only recently from Tirunelveli.
The incident occurred inside the LIC office in Madurai, popularly known as the temple city. While authorities initially treated the fire as accidental, suspicions arose after the victim’s son lodged a complaint alleging foul play.
In his complaint, he told police that his mother had called him just minutes before the fire, sounding distressed, and urged him to immediately inform the police. This crucial detail prompted a deeper investigation, eventually leading to the murder charge and the arrest of the accused.
Police said further investigation is underway to gather additional evidence and determine whether others were aware of or involved in the crime.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
