Tamil Nadu man convicted in domestic violence case fools lookalike brother, wife, and the law for two decades

The actual culprit, Palani, who is an advocate clerk had started living in a live-in relationship with a woman named Lourdu Mary in 2002, in a rented house in Trustpuram, Chennai.

A Tamil Nadu man has been convicted in a domestic violence case and his sentence has also been confirmed by the Supreme Court.

According to a report by The Times of India, the name and photo in the police records linked to the case, consist of the convicted identified as Panneerselvam, who is also a lookalike and elder brother of the actual criminal Palani.

It came to light later, that the man who has been convicted in the case is innocent and the real criminal is absconding.

According to TOI, the actual culprit, Palani, who is an advocate clerk, had entered into a live-in relationship with a woman named Lourdu Mary in 2002, in a rented house in Trustpuram, Chennai.

Palani had two children with Mary and told her that his name was Pannerselvam but his family called him Palani.

Palani, 15 years ago, had attacked his wife and one of their kids over a domestic quarrel, after which Mary filed a complaint with the Kodambakkam police.

In her complaint she named her husband as Pannerselvam and booked him for attempt to murder and for offences under the Juvenile Justice Act.

According to TOI, upon his arrest, Palani submitted his elder brother Panneerselvam's photograph and identification documents to the police, Kodambakkam Inspector of Police, Perundurai R Murugan told the publication.

According to the publication, Murugan also said, "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 was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and was fined Rs 10,000 by a sessions court in 2018, but his sentence was reduced to three years of jail term in 2019.

According to the publication, earlier this year, he moved the Supreme Court, which upheld the Madras High Court's order and also ordered the convicted Panneerselvam to surrender before the trial court.

By this time, Palani was absconding and the trial court ordered a non-bailable warrant against him.

According to TOI, K Vijayan, West Mambalam Assistant Commissioner of Police said, "After reviewing the pending warrants, a team was assigned to track the absconding convict."

Panneerselvam was tracked to Kancheepuram by a police team led by Murugan, who found out that the person named in the police and court records was Palani's elder brother and the actual Panneerselvam.

Although a search for Palani who had hoodwinked his wife, the police and courts is still on, but in the court papers and police documents it is still presented that it was Panneerselvam who was tried and convicted in the case filed by Palani's wife Mary.