What was initially believed to be a tragic fire accident inside the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) building in Madurai has now been uncovered as a premeditated murder, with police arresting the victim’s
colleague nearly a month after the incident.
According to a report in The Times of India, police arrested assistant administrative officer D Ram (46) late on Monday night for allegedly setting senior branch manager A Kalyani Nambi (54) on fire inside the LIC office on West Veli Street on December 17.
Kalyani, a resident of Ponmeni, was charred to death in the blaze on the second floor of the building, while Ram also suffered burn injuries. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital and was discharged earlier, after which police intensified questioning.
Investigators said Ram initially claimed that a masked intruder had entered the office, attempted to rob Kalyani of her jewellery and set the premises on fire. However, during sustained questioning, his statements reportedly contradicted each other, raising suspicion.
As reported by The Times of India, police recovered water bottles filled with petrol from Ram’s cabin, along with a tube allegedly used to siphon fuel from his motorcycle. Kalyani’s son also told investigators that his mother had called him that night asking him to alert the police, a crucial detail that helped unravel the case.
The investigation revealed that several insurance agents had complained to Kalyani that Ram had been sitting on over 40 death claim files for an unusually long time. When Kalyani questioned him and warned that she would escalate the matter to senior officials, Ram allegedly decided to eliminate her and destroy the pending files.
According to police, on the evening of December 17, Ram allegedly cut off the building’s main power supply, emailed the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board claiming a fault, and chained the main glass door to the lobby. When Kalyani sensed danger and cried for help, Ram is accused of pouring petrol on her and setting her ablaze, before attempting to torch his own cabin to stage an accident, The Times of India reported.
During interrogation, Ram allegedly confessed to the murder. Police arrested him from his residence and admitted him to Government Rajaji Hospital. The Thilagar Thidal police have now altered the case, invoking murder and evidence destruction charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Destruction and Loss) Act.
