Caught wife cheating, viral video and disturbing confession; Thanjavur incident ignites debate

TRICHY: A disturbing Instagram reel went viral across Tamil Nadu, forcing police into a manhunt for P Dharmaraj. The same person appeared in the video, heartbroken, revealing his plans to kill his son and himself after he caught his wife in an extramarital relationship. He also admitted to hacking his wife.

Dharmaraj, a native of Mayilpalayam in Pattukkottai, was later arrested by police from Thanjavur following a tip-off. His critically injured wife is now undergoing treatment at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital.

According to the police version, Dharmaraj married his wife six years ago and was settled in Trichy. However, last year, Dharmaraj’s worst fear came true as he caught his wife having an extramarital affair with another person, purported to be a gym trainer.

A viral video filmed almost a year ago is now doing the rounds on social media. In the video, a bemused wife looks clueless as she sees an unexpected Dharmaraj at the house. He can be seen shouting, asking his wife about the person hiding inside the house. An enraged Dharmaraj slapped his wife, letting the two paramours know that things had gone out of hand. At the end of the video, the male lover can be seen coming out of the room. In the commotion, the wife can be heard asking Dharmaraj to lower his voice and avoid a scene.

However, police said that the couple reconciled in recent times and started living again, this time in Pattukkottai. Last Wednesday, a quarrel ensued, and Dharmaraj hacked his wife and left the place, taking his son along. He then released the video of his wife and lover taken a year ago.

The child is currently placed in a government-run children’s home while police have charged several serious sections against Dharmaraj. He was brought in front of the magistrate and then remanded to the Thanjavur sub jail.

Dharmaraj’s wife was a social media influencer known for her reels and even had a small fan base. The incident sparked a debate on social media about the rising number of such cases of women cheating in a marriage and the ensuing mental trauma that a man is forced to go through. Though many supported the rising number of such cases, they condemned the violence and said that it was not an ideal way to settle scores.