Wife of bomb blast suspect kills herself

SIVAGANGA: The wife of a person, who is suspected to be behind the car blast that killed the chairman of Sivaganga municipality on June 29, committed suicide
allegedly due to harassment by police.
   
According to police, 26-year-old Shanti hung herself from the roof of her house late last night.
   
Police said they had taken Shanthi and her in-laws to the police station to inquire about the whereabouts of Bala, a diploma-holder in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, whom they strongly suspected to have fixed the explosives in the
car with remote control detonator.
   
Police said they had reasons to suspect Bala as he was a close associate of Mandhakalai, one of the "arch rivals" of late municipal Chairman P Murugan.
   
Besides, local witnesses had seen three strangers waiting in a motorcycle and watching the blast. Later, they fled from the scene.
   
Police said Bala was also involved in robbing Rs 17.5 lakh from a bank employee at Madurai and was on bail when he was staying in Sivaganga.
   
Bala had worked with some electronic firms in Chennai and had good experience in operating remote control devices.
   
Police claimed Trinitrotoluene(TNT), the chemical used in the bomb, was commercially available only in cities. The sophisticated bomb that was planted in the chairman's car
required the skill of an engineer holding at least a diploma, police added.