Tamil Nadu: Cobra and Krait Bites Reveal Shocking Murder Plot Behind Man’s Death

Chennai, Tamil Nadu: What initially appeared to be a tragic snakebite death has turned into a chilling revelation of premeditated murder in Thiruvallur district. Ganeshan, a 56-year-old laboratory assistant at a government girls’ school in Podaturpet village, died after being bitten by a krait snake—a week after surviving a cobra bite. Investigations later uncovered that his death was part of a sinister conspiracy orchestrated by his own sons to claim a ₹3 crore insurance payout.

Two Snake Bites, One Fatal Outcome
Ganeshan had been bitten by a cobra a week prior, but survived after immediate hospitalization. Shockingly, a week later, a highly venomous krait bit him on the neck. Delays in reaching the hospital proved fatal. Following his death, the family filed a claim for his ₹3 crore insurance policy.

Insurance Suspicion Triggers Investigation
Insurance investigators noted that the family’s financial situation could not justify such high-value policies. Suspicious circumstances surrounding the death prompted the insurance company to alert the police.

Unfolding of the Murder Plot
A Special Investigation Team, formed by North Zone IG Asra Garg and Thiruvallur SP Vivekanand Shukla on December 6, began scrutinizing the case. Investigators discovered that Ganeshan’s sons, 26-year-old Mohanraj and 27-year-old Hariharan, colluded with friends to orchestrate their father’s murder to secure the insurance payout.

Use of Venomous Snakes as Murder Weapons
The sons coordinated with their accomplices—G. Balaji, B. Prashant, S. Dinkaran, and G. Naveenkumar—to procure venomous snakes. The first attempt involved a cobra bite on Ganeshan’s foot while he slept, from which he survived. Undeterred, the conspirators arranged for a krait, whose venom acts faster and more lethally, to bite him on the neck on the morning of October 22. The snake was killed inside the house immediately after the attack.

Six Arrested So Far
Analysis of call records and unusual financial transactions totaling ₹2 lakh helped link the two sons to their accomplices. To date, six individuals—including the two sons—have been arrested, and the investigation continues.

This case, involving deadly snakes as instruments of murder for financial gain, has left the region stunned and underscores the dark lengths some go to in pursuit of wealth.

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