A transexual man who burnt alive his childhood classmate - a software engineer - in a gruesome manner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, police said on Monday.

The suspect identified as Vetrimaran, a trans man who had changed his name from Pandi Maheswari, blindfolded, chained and burnt R Nandhini alive, under the pretext of surprising her on her birthday eve on Saturday, at Thalambur near Kelambakkam, Chennai’s southern suburb, they said.

The victim, a 25-year-old software engineer from Madurai and working here, did not suspect his intentions, as Vetrimaran said he wanted to surprise Nandhini ahead of her birthday.

Nandhini has been residing at her relative's house here.

Investigation revealed that Pandi Maheswari, 26, studied with Nandhini at a school in Madurai. Nandhini had continued her friendship on humanitarian grounds even after Maheswari changed her name to Vetrimaran.

The two had worked in a company here, they added.

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