The Karaikal District Sessions Court on Thursday convicted and sentenced a 42-year-old woman Sahayarani Victoria to undergo life imprisonment for poisoning to death her daughter’s classmate in school, who performed better than her academically. In September 2022, she had mixed rat poison in a cool drink, which the boy consumed.
While pronouncing the order, District Sessions Judge K. Mohan imposed ₹20,000 as fine on Victoria. The victim, Bala Manikandan, was a Class VIII student of a private school in Karaikal. Prosecution alleged that the boy excelled in academics and sports which made Victoria jealous as her daughter, who was his classmate, could not surpass his feat. The woman decided to eliminate the boy.
During the school annual day celebration on September 2, 2022, Victoria handed over a bottle containing the poisoned cool drink to the watchman asking him to hand it over to Bala Manikandan claiming it was given by his parents.
The boy drank the beverage and went home where he vomited and fell ill. When his mother enquired with him, he told her about the cool drink. The boy was immediately taken to the Karaikal Government Hospital and his parents took up the matter with the school authorities. The CCTV footage showed Victoria handing over the bottle to the watchman. The Karaikal Town police arrested Victoria initially on charges of attempting to murder the boy.
The boy died on September 3 following which the Karaikal Town police altered it as a case of murder and interrogated Sahayarani after taking her into custody. The woman confessed to having mixed rat paste in the cool drink to eliminate the boy.
The trial commenced in November 2023, said A.V.J. Selva Muthu Kumaran, Public Prosecutor at Karaikal. A total number of 24 prosecution witnesses were examined during the course of the trial, he added.
Published – October 23, 2025 09:12 pm IST
