Doctor arrested for murder shocked residents in Salem and Chennai after a 27-year-old physician from Asthampatti was taken into custody for killing a 26-year-old woman who allegedly blackmailed him for months. Police say Dr Santosh Kumar was targeted by Nithya, an unemployed woman from Thiruvottiyur who pretended to work in an IT firm. She extracted over ₹8 lakh by threatening to release his private photos to his family.
Unable to handle the ongoing threats, the doctor plotted her murder. On Thursday, he visited her rented house in Kodungaiyur and gave her sedative-laced alcohol before smothering her with a pillow. He then fled with 25 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
Nithya’s live-in partner Balamurugan found her unconscious and called for help, but she was declared dead on arrival. Initially ruled as suicide, the case took a turn after police examined phone records and CCTV footage showing Dr Santosh at the scene. Upon interrogation, he confessed.
Police later recovered stolen jewellery from the doctor’s neighbor, who was released after questioning. Authorities are now probing whether Nithya had other victims in a possible blackmail racket.
