It’s as if death penalty dictated by God, says Dr Subbiah’s wife

It’s as if death penalty dictated by God, says Dr Subbiah’s wife

‘It Has Taken 2,872 Days For Verdict’

Selvaraj.A@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 05.08.2021

“The sight of a sickle makes me shudder and I stopped using sickle even to chop coconut at our house. Whenever I see a sickle, the CCTV (camera footage) visual of my husband Dr S D Subbiah being hacked with one such sickle comes to mind. I have also stopped watching violent murders in movies,” said Shanthi Subbiah.

On Wednesday, when sessions judge S Alli was reading out the punishment part for each of the nine accused who plotted and carried out the gruesome murder about eight years ago, Shanthi was sitting still with tears rolling down her cheeks and face buried tightly between her palms.

“It has taken 2,872 days for the verdict to come. I felt like sitting in God’s courtyard and as if the verdict was being dispensed by the Almighty Himself,” Shanthi told TOI. “On Wednesday, I felt my husband would come back. I felt his presence in the court room too.”

“Every mortal dies, but the way he (Subbaiah) died is not acceptable. Despite living by his own high standards of ethics and morality, he was killed like an anti-social, on (the) road,” she said. “I still kept all his clothes neatly folded or on hangers just as the way he used to keep when he left me. I clean the cupboard and almirah without changing the order of his clothes.”

Shanthi has built a memorial for Subbaiah at his native Swamithope, near Kanyakumari, and has also floated a Dr Subbaiah Trust to support poor students.

Dr Subbiah was a top-notch neurosurgeon in the city, busy sharing his professional time and expertise between private and government hospitals. On September 14, 2013, three men armed with lethal weapons accosted him while he was getting into his car near Billroth Hospital at RA Puram. The doctor died of injuries on September 22. A CCTV camera at an apartment complex opposite the scene of the crime captured every detail of the gory sequence, sending shock waves.

Initial inquiries revealed that school teacher Ponnusamy, a relative of Subbiah, claimed he was legal heir for a property at Kanyakumari, which was under the custody of Subbaiah and his family.

Now-retired assistant commissioner of police P Subramani made the first breakthrough in the case. He told TOI: “Based on a tip, my team nabbed Dr James Satish Kumar from Koyambedu. His interrogation revealed the whole plot and subsequently, the hirelings — Murugan, Selva Prakash and Ayyappan — were arrested from Kanyakumari.” Based on their statements, police established the involvement of Ponnusamy and his family, and nabbed them.

The arrested were identified as Ponnusamy and his wife Mary Pushpam, their sons — P Basil, a lawyer, and P Boris, an engineer. Dr Kumar hired the three assailants, and also got lawyercum-kabaddi coach William and kabaddi player Yesurajan involved in the plot to eliminate Subbiah. Police said Murugan was involved in another murder after he came out on bail and Selva Prakash was arrested for a Pocso Act offence and detained under the Goondas Act.

On Wednesday, I felt my husband would come back. I felt his presence in the court room too... Every mortal dies, but the way he died is not acceptable

SHANTHI SUBBIAH