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Death of Ayakannu Marithamuthu

UNSOLVED1984Near Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Ayakannu Marithamuthu, born in 1950 and of Indian descent, worked as a caretaker overseeing Public Utilities Board-run holiday chalets along Biggin Hill Road in Changi, Singapore. From around 1980, he lived with his wife and their three children in a small house behind Orchard Road Presbyterian Church. He disappeared on 12 December 1984, allegedly killed just outside his home.

His wife, Nagaratha Vally Ramiah, filed a missing person's report at the Joo Chiat Police Station, stating that Marithamuthu had gone to the Genting Highlands to gamble. Police subsequently opened an investigation that led to the arrest of six people: Nagaratha, her three brothers — Rathakrishnana Ramayah, Shanmugam Chandra, and Balakrishna Ramiah — her mother, Kamachi Krishnasamy, and her sister-in-law, Mary Manuee (Rathakrishnana's wife). Police alleged that the first four had planned to kill Marithamuthu, while the remaining two had allegedly provided support.

Throughout the roughly two-year investigation, neither Marithamuthu's body nor any murder weapon was recovered. The case became known publicly as the "Curry Murder" due to allegations that his body had been cooked into a curry before being disposed of in garbage containers.

On 23 March 1987, the six suspects were formally charged and brought before the court to face trial for murder, an offence carrying a possible death penalty upon conviction. They were represented by lawyers Subbiah Pillai and Raj Kumar, and approximately two hundred people were reported to have been present in the courtroom. On the day of the trial, prosecutors admitted the evidence was insufficient, and the presiding judge released the six suspects with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal. Police stated that further investigations were ongoing and that the suspects could be recalled to court if more substantial evidence emerged.

On the same day they were released from the murder charge, the three brothers — Rathakrishnana Ramayah, Shanmugam Chandra, and Balakrishna Ramiah — were re-arrested under the Criminal Law Act and detained in Changi Prison for four years before being released.

Central Investigations Department director Jagjit Singh described the case as "one of the most unusual and bizarre cases we have ever handled." The case attracted lasting public and media attention in Singapore. In 1995, the Television Corporation of Singapore broadcast a 30-episode serial titled Doctor Justice, one episode of which depicted an exaggerated dramatization of the case. In 2004, the Singaporean documentary series Missing re-enacted the case, altering the names of the victim and suspects to protect their identities.

No one has ever been convicted in connection with Ayakannu Marithamuthu's disappearance and presumed death, and his body has never been located.

Key facts

Victims
Ayakannu Marithamuthu
Date
1984
Location
Near Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1950

    Ayakannu Marithamuthu is born.

  2. 1980

    Marithamuthu, his wife, and their three children begin residing in a small house behind Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore.

  3. 1984-12-12

    Marithamuthu disappears, allegedly killed just outside his home; his wife later files a missing person's report stating he had gone to Genting Highlands to gamble.

  4. 1987-03-23

    Six individuals — Marithamuthu's wife, her three brothers, her mother, and her sister-in-law — are brought in and charged in connection with his death; on the day of trial, prosecutors admit insufficient evidence and the judge grants the suspects a discharge not amounting to an acquittal. The three brothers are re-arrested the same day under the Criminal Law Act and detained in Changi Prison.

  5. 1991

    The three brothers are released from Changi Prison after four years of detention under the Criminal Law Act.

  6. 1995

    Television Corporation of Singapore broadcasts the serial Doctor Justice, including an episode depicting an exaggerated version of the case.

  7. 2004

    Singaporean documentary series Missing re-enacts the case with altered names to protect identities.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Mary Manuee

    CHARGED

    Sister-in-law of the victim (Rathakrishnana's wife); alleged to have given support to the plan; charged in 1987 and released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

  • Balakrishna Ramiah

    CHARGED

    Brother-in-law of the victim; charged with murder in 1987, released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, then re-arrested the same day under the Criminal Law Act and detained four years.

  • Rathakrishnana Ramayah

    CHARGED

    Brother-in-law of the victim; charged with murder in 1987, released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, then re-arrested the same day under the Criminal Law Act and detained four years.

  • Jagjit Singh

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Director of the Central Investigations Department who commented publicly on the case's unusual nature.

  • Kamachi Krishnasamy

    CHARGED

    Mother-in-law of the victim; alleged to have given support to the plan; charged in 1987 and released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

  • Shanmugam Chandra

    CHARGED

    Brother-in-law of the victim; charged with murder in 1987, released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, then re-arrested the same day under the Criminal Law Act and detained four years.

  • Nagaratha Vally Ramiah

    CHARGED

    Wife of the victim; charged with murder in 1987 and released with a discharge not amounting to an acquittal after prosecutors cited insufficient evidence.

  • Ayakannu Marithamuthu

    VICTIM

    34-year-old caretaker who disappeared on 12 December 1984 and was allegedly killed; his body was never recovered.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Near Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore

1.3048, 103.8318

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Ayakannu Marithamuthu, a 34-year-old caretaker in Singapore, disappeared on 12 December 1984 and was never found. Six family members were charged with murder in 1987 but released when prosecutors admitted the evidence was insufficient.
Where did the crime happen?
Near Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Singapore

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICDeath of Ayakannu MarithamuthuWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — eresources.nlb.gov.sgeresources.nlb.gov.sg · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — straitstimes.comstraitstimes.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026