Fireman who killed teacher commits suicide in jail

An undertrial prisoner committed suicide by hanging inside the Central Prison in Puzhal on Wednesday.

Fireman Ilayaraja, aged 28 years, who was arrested on Tuesday on connection with the murder of school teacher Nivedha, was found dead in his jail cell on Wednesday.

Ilayaraja, was a driver with the Fire and Rescue Services in Coimbatore. After the fifth metropolitan magistrate remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days, he was brought to the Central Prison and lodged in cell no. 24 of the Medical Observation Block, also called A Class, where government servants are lodged.

He had hanged himself using his own lungi, prison officials said, adding that his body was removed to Stanley government hospital for post-mortem.

Police said Ilayaraja had a six-year-long extra marital affair with Nivetha, a teacher in Pollachi. Nivetha, a divorcee, also supported him financially during their courtship. Later, Ilayaraja married another woman, and Nivetha began to avoid him, and soon developed an intimate relationship with Ganapathy of Kolathur over social media.

On Monday, the teacher and the fireman came together to chennai, and met her Facebook friend. Later, when she sought to go out with Ganapathi in his bike, Ilayaraja dashed their vehicle with the car.