'Arranged marriage' tragedy

SINGAPORE - She met her potential groom for the first time on Monday but, by the following day, she was found dead.

A 31-year-old Indian national was charged yesterday with the murder of Singaporean student Meenatchi Narayanan in a hotel in suburban Brisbane.

Senthill Kumar Arumugam was found in the same room where police discovered Ms Meenatchi's body in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Three of her friends told The Straits Times she had been dating a Singaporean man previously, but broke up with him at the request of her family.

Ms Meenatchi was not interested in Senthill, who was described as "big-sized, like a bodybuilder", but agreed to meet him after a match was arranged. Senthill flew to Brisbane to meet her.

Ms Meenatchi, 27, a master's student in accounting at the Queensland University of Technology, was said to have worked in finance and accounting positions in Singapore earlier.

She suffered multiple stab wounds, and Senthill was found in the room with injuries believed to be self-inflicted.

A knife was believed to have been seized as evidence.

Screams were heard coming from the third-floor room at the Travelodge hotel in Upper Mount Gravatt, and police had to force their way in around 12.30am, said The Australian.

Senthill was charged with one count of murder, and had a bedside hearing in the hospital yesterday afternoon, the authorities said. He remains under police watch at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The case will be adjourned until May 5 for mention again at the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Queensland Police Detective Inspector Tod Reid said in an Australian television news report that the "the family are quite distraught, and we are speaking with them at the moment to get the background as to why this incident has happened".

Ms Meenatchi's brother has flown over from Singapore and is in Brisbane, said reports.

The Singaporean student, who studied at Christ Church Secondary School, made a public posting on her Facebook profile page on Sunday - a selfie which earned some 60 likes. In response, one friend wrote: "U're glowing darl!" and another said: "Looking good gal!"

adrianl@sph.com.sg

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