Sun Feb 09 17:30:45 UTC 2025: ## Former Naval Officer, Aide to MGR’s Wife, Murdered in 2008: Convictions Upheld, One Acquitted

**Chennai, February 9, 2025** – A decade and a half after the brutal murder of Vijayan, a former naval officer and personal secretary to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Janaki Ramachandran, the Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentences of five individuals involved in the crime. One accused, Banu Sridharan, was acquitted, while another, M. Karthik, also had his acquittal confirmed.

Vijayan, husband of one of M.G. Ramachandran’s foster daughters, was attacked and killed on June 4, 2008, near the Adyar bridge in Chennai. The attack involved multiple vehicles and assailants wielding an iron pipe. The initial investigation, later transferred to the CB-CID, led to the arrest of seven individuals.

The prosecution argued that the murder was orchestrated by Banu Sridharan, the former principal of a private school, due to a property dispute stemming from the family of Janaki Ramachandran’s brother. The court heard that Banu, along with a police constable and several hired killers, conspired to murder Vijayan.

In 2016, a sessions court found all seven guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. However, in 2017, the Madras High Court acquitted Banu Sridharan and M. Karthik, citing insufficient evidence to prove their involvement beyond reasonable doubt. The High Court upheld the life sentences for the remaining five.

Both the government and the convicted appealed the High Court’s decision. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling has now finalized the convictions, upholding the life sentences for five individuals while affirming the acquittal of Banu Sridharan and M. Karthik. The case highlights a complex web of family disputes, property conflicts, and alleged conspiracy culminating in a high-profile murder.

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