Man gets lifer for sodomy, murder charges

Kancheepuram, July 3 (UNI) A fast track court here today sentenced an ashram employee to life-imprisonment for murdering a 20-year-old employee.

Delivering his order, Judge R Dhandapani ordered Saurinathan (49), working with the Annai Ashram here to undergo life- imprisonment besides paying a fine of Rs 10,000 for murdering Alex.

Saurinathan was also delivered seven years RI and Rs 5,000 fine for hiding the facts of murder, and a similar sentence and fine for indulging in sodomy leading to the crime.

All the sentences would run concurrently, he said, following which Saurinathan was taken to the Puzhal Prison in Chennai.

Alex (20) had approached Saurinathan for a job in the ashram on December 13, 2005.

The next day his body was found hanging in the cow shed of the ashram under mysterious circumstances.

Meanwhile, Alex's sister filed a complaint with the police who found that Saurinathan had sodomised Alex and threatened him with dire consequences if he dared to reveal the incident.

However, fearing that Alex would expose him, Saurinathan strangulated him.

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