A 29-year-old man has been booked for allegedly poisoning his wife to death at Karavali Madhapur near Karumathampatti in Coimbatore district.

According to the Karumathampatti police, the accused, Anandhakumar, and his wife Maheshwari had been married for about a month. The couple had reportedly been staying at the residence of a relative in Anna Nagar, Karavali Madhapur, since June 22.

The relative, who subsequently lodged the complaint, told the police that the couple had consumed alcohol on the night of June 22. He and his family later left the newlyweds alone at the house and stayed at a nearby relative’s residence.

The complainant stated that he left for work on the morning of June 23. When he returned around 6 p.m., he found Maheshwari lying motionless inside the house. During an inquiry, The complainant alleged that Anandhakumar told him that he had mixed rat poison with brandy and given it to his wife following a dispute.

The complainant then informed Anandhakumar’s father, Arumugam, about the incident. Police said Arumugam and another relative, Subramani, arrived at the house later that evening. They allegedly placed Maheshwari’s body in a large bag and transported it from the scene on a two-wheeler.

The complainant subsequently approached the Karumathampatti police station on June 24 and lodged a complaint.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Anandhakumar on charges of murder. Arumugam and Subramani have also been named as accused for their alleged involvement in removing the body from the scene.

The body was recovered and sent to the ESI Hospital in Singanallur for post-mortem examination. Further investigation is under way.