Millionaire ‘gold digger’,new twist, new drama, evidence,‘movie plot’

Reports by WANI MUTHIAH, LOH FOON FONG, STEVEN DANIEL, FARIK ZOLKEPLI, M. SIVANANTHA SHARMA and TAN SIN CHOW

KLANG: A full-fledged catfight is threatening to explode between missing Indian millionaire A. Muthuraja’s two wives with both accusing each other of only wanting their husband’s assets.

His first wife, teacher M. Rama­lakshmi accused his other wife S. Usharani of having married Muthu­raja for his money.

“She’s always talking about money and property when interviewed by the media,” said Ramalakshmi.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-A0HElWMMw]

thestaronline 

The murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiyah has taken another twist with drama unfolding in India.

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-A0HElWMMw]

Usharani, meanwhile, criticised Ramalakshmi for only speaking up now instead of when their husband first disappeared.

Muthuraja went missing after meeting the two lawyer brothers who are the main suspects in the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.

“Where was she all this while?” Usharani said, adding that she was feeling lost without Muthuraja.
 However, Ramalakshmi said she only knew her husband was missing and had another wife recently.

 “No one told me anything,’’ said Ramalakshmi, adding that she was estranged from her husband because his family believed she had brought him bad luck.

Both Ramalakshmi and Usharani, who spoke in a telephone interview from Tirunelveli and Chennai, Tamil Nadu, respectively also said that they were prepared to come to Malaysia to look for Muthuraja.

“I am looking for a safe place for my daughter to live in before coming to Malaysia to talk to the police,” said Usharani.

She added that she would also be seeing Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam who has promised to help her.
Ramalakshmi said she would be willing to come to Malaysia, too.

“I am a simple village girl and may not be able to face the challenges alone,” she added.

When contacted, Manikavasagam confirmed he would be meeting Usharani when she comes to Malay­sia.
“I’ll be speaking with her to see how we can help her,” he said.

Related Stories:
Man wanted to end ties with lawyer brothers
Cops to probe connection of another death
Sosilawati remembered as a charitable person

New twist in Sosilawati murder case

By wani muthiah Sunday September 19, 2010 wani@thestar.com.my

 KLANG: The murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiyah has taken another twist with drama unfolding in India.

Besides S. Usharani – the woman who spoke to the press appealing for information on her missing husband, businessman A. Muthu­raja – another woman in India has claimed to be the man’s lawfully-wedded wife.

S. Ramalakshmi, 36, said al­­though she was estranged from Muthuraja, they had planned to get back together.
She also claimed that Usharani, 24, was not legally married to Muthuraja.

Muthuraja disappeared after meeting the two lawyer brothers who are the main suspects in the murders of Sosilawati and three others.

In other developments:

>       Muthuraja’s father believes that his son is not dead but is only being held captive;

>       Two men, one picked up on Friday and the other yesterday, have been remanded for a week in connection with the disappearance of the Indian businessman; and

>       Three others, including the brothers, had their remand order extended for another week.

New drama in missing man’s case

Sosilawati murder: Suspects remand extended till Sept25
Banting folks shocked by heinous crime in their town

KLANG: The disappearance of Indian businessman A. Muthuraja has the makings of a television soap opera — the latest twist being a 36-year-old school teacher in India claiming to be his lawfully-wedded wife.

Ramalakshmi

 

S. Ramalakshmi from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, said the 24-year-old woman who came to Malaysia to report that Muthuraja had gone missing on Sept 8, was not legally his wife.

In the report, S. Usharani had said that Muthuraja was her husband.
Muthuraja, believed to be a multi-millionaire, disappeared after coming to Malaysia to meet the two lawyer brothers who were arrested in connection with the murder of cosmetics tycoon Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.

Ramalakshmi does not have any children with Muthuraja, 37.
According to Ramalakshmi, who spoke from Tirunelveli, hers was an arranged marriage.

“Muthuraja and I married in 2001 in a grand ceremony in Chennai which was attended by many dignitaries and politicians,” the elementary school teacher said when contacted in India yesterday.

Ramalakshmi said although she and her husband had been estranged for the past three years, there was a possibility of a reconciliation.

Ramalakshmi from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, claims that she is the wife of Muthuraja, and not Usharani (above). The girl at right is Usharani’s daughter. 

 

“My father-in-law told me that things between us would be sorted out after his return from Malaysia,” she said.

Ramalakshmi said she had not seen her husband for three years until about a week before his trip to Malaysia in January.

“I was walking to school and he passed by in his car while on the way to his estate, which is not very far from where I teach.

“We did not speak but he smiled at me,” said a sobbing Ramalakshmi.

First marriage?: An i nvitation card said to have been used to announce Muthuraja’s marriage to Ramalakshmi.

 

She said Muthuraja would go on long trips to Russia and Malaysia from the time they were married to tend to his businesses there.

“He would always come back and I was used to not having him around all the time even before we became estranged,” she said.

She also said Muthuraja had brought the two lawyer brothers to her father’s house in Tirunelveli for a meal about five years ago.

Asked what she thought about the turn of events, Ramalakshmi said: “There is a strong possibility that my husband was involved in questionable activities.

“He doesn’t even have to come back to me or acknowledge me. I only want my husband to be alive.”

Missing man’s wife plays recording of demand for RM1m ransom

KLANG: S. Usharani, the second wife of Indian millionaire A. Muthuraja, has vowed to bring to justice those responsible for his death by producing a recorded telephone conversation which she had with a man who demanded a RM1mil ransom from her.

The recording of the conversation between herself and the man identified as “ASP Suresh” from Bukit Aman was played to the press yesterday.

She lodged a police report at Kuala Langat and will hand over the evidence to the Inspector-General of Police today.

Hear it for yourself: Usharani playing the phone recording of her conversations with a suspect in Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya’s murder case and a man claiming to be a policeman. She will turn over the phone to the police today. — SIA HONG KIAU / The Star

 

Other developments:

> Muthuraja’s mother claims her son wanted to “escape” from Usharani, who was pressuring him with suicide threats;

> His younger brother also accused Usharani of giving authorities wrong information and claims she is being “instigated” by another businessman;

> The remand for five suspects, believed to be involved in the murder, has been extended for a week.

Related Stories:
Call from man asking RM1mil for Muthu’s release to be given to cops
Businessman’s disappearance is hot news in India
Muthuraja ‘movie plot’ unravels
Oh brother! Usharani’s version is now disputed
Police to hold Sosilawati case suspects a week more
Suspect claims abuse by cops

Muthuraja ‘movie plot’ unravels

THIRUNELVELI: The case of missing Indian businessman A. Muthuraja is playing like a drama - with the mystery of his disappearance, a search that spans two nations and a very nasty family feud.

His mother A. Ramalakshmi has made it known that her son was not on good terms with his wife S. Usharani.
She claimed her son wanted to “escape” from Usharani because she was always putting him under pressure.

Happier times: (From left) Muthuraja and Ramalakshmi, and Usharani and Muthuraja.

 

“They quarrelled all the time and Usharani had threatened to commit suicide,” she added.

“He has asked me many times to take care of his three-year-old daughter Lakshmi Shree so he could walk away from the destructive relationship,” she said at her ancestral home in Thenkasi near here.

According to Ramalakshmi, Muthuraja spent most of his time in his estate in Mekarai, about 20km from Thenkasi.

She added that Muthuraja had built a house on the estate, which also had a waterfall and spent a lot of time there with his family and friends.

Home sweet home: Muthuraja’s mother’s house in Shencottai, Madurai, India.

 

Muthuraja’s family members said his relationship with Usharani was a “mistake” after he became estranged from his first wife S. Ramalakshmi.

They claimed Usharani was a widow with one child when she met Muthuraja.

Muthuraja’s younger brother Dr Kasi Viswanathan said Usharani got married when she was only 15. Her wealthy husband later died and left her his assets.

Sources in Chennai said Muthuraja and Usharani had moved into an apartment only a day before he left for Malaysia on Jan 18.

“Judging from the amount of clothing he had packed, it looked like he was leaving,” the source said.

Related Stories:
Missing man’s wife plays recording of demand for RM1m ransom
Call from man asking RM1mil for Muthu’s release to be given to cops
Businessman’s disappearance is hot news in India
Oh brother! Usharani’s version is now disputed
Police to hold Sosilawati case suspects a week more
Suspect claims abuse by cops