Chennai: A man, identified as Paneerselvam, was convicted by a Mahila Court in Chennai, then he appealed the verdict and the Madras High Court reduced his jail term from five years to three years. However, there was a shocking twist: Paneerselvam was innocent—it was his brother, Palani, who had impersonated him for 20 years, deceiving his family, the police, and the courts.
According to a Times of India report, after the Madras High Court and Supreme Court declared Paneerselvam innocent, the police began chasing the real suspect, his brother Palani, who had been missing since June 2024. After closely tracking the suspect for five months, the police arrested Palani at a hideout in Madipakkam.
T Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police, K. Vijayan, said, "The suspect had tonsured his head to hide his identity. However, the police team that tracked him all these months followed his digital footprints," as quoted by TOI. An investigating officer noted that Palani stayed low after watching news coverage on television and in newspapers. He used fake documents to buy SIM cards, which he discarded after using them for two weeks.
The report added that Palani tried to divert the police's attention by travelling on MTC buses and withdrawing cash from various ATMs. Despite his efforts, the police tracked and arrested him in Madipakkam.
Why Did Palani Impersonate Paneerselvam?
The issue began in 2002 when Palani, an advocate's clerk, befriended a woman named Lourdu Mary. They started living together in a rented house in Trustpuram, Kodambakkam. After Palani's father passed away, he lost his identity documents and began using his brother Paneerselvam's certificates to secure a job. He continued posing as Paneerselvam and even told his partner that his family called him "Palani." The couple eventually had two children, according to the TOI report.
Trouble started when Palani attacked Mary and one of their children during a domestic quarrel 15 years ago. Based on Mary's complaint, the Kodambakkam police booked Palani for attempted murder and offences under the Juvenile Justice Act. In her complaint, Mary referred to her husband as Paneerselvam.
Perundurai R. Murugan, Kodambakkam Inspector of Police, explained that Palani submitted his brother Paneerselvam's identity documents when questioned. As the two brothers looked alike, the police at the time did not suspect anything and attached all the documents under Paneerselvam's name in the First Information Report (FIR).
Although Paneerselvam was not formally arrested, he regularly attended the trial. In 2018, a Mahila Court sentenced him to five years in jail and fined him Rs 10,000. In 2019, the Madras High Court reduced the jail term to three years but retained the fine. Paneerselvam moved the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court's order earlier this year and directed him to surrender before the trial court. However, Palani absconded.
Finally, the police team, led by Inspector Perundurai Murugan, tracked Paneerselvam to Kancheepuram. It was then they discovered that the "Paneerselvam" in their records was actually his brother Palani. Palani had fooled everyone—his wife, the police, and the courts—before vanishing.
Palani was eventually arrested and produced before the court, where he was remanded to judicial custody. The magistrate commended the police team for apprehending the long-absconding Palani, the report added.