In a horrific incident, a Malaysian man suspected his wife–living in Singapore–of having an affair. He wanted to set her on fire before killing himself.
According to a CNA report, the man reportedly crossed the border into the island and abducted his 40-year-old wife and then doused her with petrol.
Police arrested the accused, Murugan Nondoh, 40, at Tuas Checkpoint. This was before he could leave Singapore with his wife. They were alerted about the incident as the victim’s niece was on a call with her and she overheard their conversation.
Here’s how the accused plotted to murder his wife.
Malaysian Man Accuses Wife Of Having Outside Marriage Relationship
Image courtesy: File Image
The court heard that the accused was without a job and he lived in the Johor Bahru area in Malaysia at the time of the offences. His wife, on the other hand, worked as a quality controller in Woodlands, Singapore.
They married in 2007 in Malaysia, but soon the victim became unhappy with the relationship. She alleged that Murugan was physically abusive, had a bad temper, and had gambling debts.
Around two years back, she confided in a friend about her loneliness. Her friend gave her a man’s phone number. The victim then started chatting with him but never met him in person.
In March 2019, Murugan checked his wife’s phone and saw a message from the man, who wished her good morning. He video called the other man to ask his name and immediately hung up the call.
He suspected his wife of having an outside marriage relationship. He confronted her, but the latter denied having met the other man in person.
Wife Moved Out To Stay With Her Mum
Image courtesy: File Image
The victim then moved out to stay with her mum in Johor Bahru and filed for divorce, blocking her husband’s number.
But the accused used different phone numbers to harass his wife. He even visited her a few times at his in-laws’ place and asked her to reconcile with him.
After finding out from a relative that his wife started working in Singapore, his decided to take revenge. He waited at the Malaysian checkpoint for several hours for allegedly six days in June 2019. A few days later, he spotted her.
Murugan grabbed her bag and found her work permit inside it. He took a photo of it which had the address of her workplace. His wife with the help of police officers finally managed to retrieve her bag.
Just two days later, he sent a voice note to his friend to reportedly say that women like his wife shouldn’t be alive at all and he would burn her. He also shared that he won’t allow anyone else to “have her since he cannot have her.” He planned to find the victim in Singapore and kill her and then himself.
Rides From Malaysia To Singapore To Burn Wife For Initiating An Outside Marriage Relationship
After accusing his wife of having an outside marriage relationship, Murugan had also planned to kill him if he could get hold of him.
Executing his plan, he rode his motorcycle from Johor Bahru to Singapore on June 28, 2019, and headed straight to his wife’s workplace. But his plan didn’t work as his wife was on leave that day. He decided to wait and look for another chance to abduct her.
Then on July 2, 2019, he came prepared with bottles filled with 2.34 litres of petrol and was waiting below his wife’s office. The victim was leaving her office at 6 pm and was on a call with her niece. Murugan rode the bike from her behind and grabbed her by the neck.
In this exchange, the victim dropped her phone and began asking for help while trying to run away.
Murugan chased her and managed to pour the entire bottle of petrol on his wife’s head. The woman ingested some petrol while shouting for help. He threatened that he would burn and kill her if she didn’t leave with him on the motorcycle.
She Complied With His Demands Fearing Her Own Safety
The victim fearing her safety and seeing her husband carrying lighters with him, complied. Murugan picked his wife and rode off with her.
After a few metres, he alighted and rebuked his wife by using unparliamentary words like “vagina” and “prostitute.” He further raised his hands on her and punched her on her chest and face.
Murugan also demanded his wife unlock her phone, threatening her with a penknife. But his wife refused to do so. He then took a selfie of himself with his crying wife and then sent it to his friend in Malaysia.
What the offender didn’t know was that all this while the victim’s niece was on the call. She heard everything. The police were also informed accordingly.
For the next five hours, he rode with his wife, and stopped and various places, including the cemetery. He asked his wife why she left him and who she had been texting.
He also showed her the saree and the dhoti which they wore at their wedding 12 years ago.
Police Arrested Accused At Tuas Checkpoint
Murugan called his friend and shared his plans. His friend tried to dissuade him and spoke to the victim, asking her to reconcile with her husband. The accused then agreed to take his wife to Malaysia after she promised to settle things with him and not cause any problem.
While they were at Tuas Checkpoint trying to scan their passports and thumbprints, police came and arrested Murugan. His wife was taken to the emergency department where she was attended to her bruises and diagnosed with “petroleum product ingestion.”
The duo is currently separated and they are undergoing divorce proceedings.
The prosecution is fighting for a jail term of between three years and one month, and three years and seven months for Murugan. He has been in jail since 2019 and will return to court for sentencing later his month.
The accused Murugan pleaded guilty on September 22 to four charges, including abduction, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and having a weapon with him.
Source: CNA
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