Gopal (Sivaji Ganesan) is a rich businessman who is returning from Singapore to his home town in a cruise ship. He meets Latha (Saroja Devi), another traveller who has been accompanied by her father Ramadurai (V. K. Ramasamy). Repeated meetings develop a good friendship in course of time and Gopal invites them to his mansion home at Ooty and leaves for his place. Gopal again meets Latha and her father who have come on a tour to Ooty, and he takes them to his home. Gopal and Latha develop a liking for each other and he proposes to her to which she happily accepts. One day, Latha discovers that Gopal gets agitated whenever he sees an onrushing train and demands to know the reason for the same. Gopal explains to her that the reason behind this is his first wife.

Gopal who had lost his mother had been wandering aimlessly at Singapore. In a night club, he met a singer named Chitra (Sowcar Janaki). He got attracted to her and they decided to marry, in the presence of Chitra's brother Raju (S. V. Ramdoss). On the first night of the marriage, Gopal found that his wife was not cultured and she visits night clubs, parties and drinks alcohol. Gopal was depressed by her attitude, but tolerated for respect of his family. Eventually, his father (Dada Mirasi) died of a heart attack after seeing Chitra's drunken attitude. Gopal tried to control Chitra, but she always felt irritated by his acts. At one point, she tried to walk out of his life. Gopal pleaded to change her mind, but Chitra went away. The next day he heard Chitra died in railway track and this disturbs him a lot. Latha sympathises with him and accepts his love.

Their engagement is fixed and while the function is on, a young woman walks in, claiming to be his dead wife Chitra, accompanied by her uncle Rangan (M. R. Radha). Gopal says the woman is an imposter but she and her uncle have clinching evidence which convinces even Gopal's police friend Kumar (O. A. K. Thevar). Chitra and Rangan start behaving in an irritating manner and Gopal gets frustrated. He fears that Latha might leave him because his "dead" wife has turned up. Eventually, Gopal reveals the truth to everyone: When Chitra was ready to leave Gopal forever, he slapped her in frustration. Chitra, a heart patient, could not take the insult of his slap and died of a shock. Gopal realised that he had inadvertently killed his wife. To avoid arrest, and safeguard the honour of his family, he manipulated the murder to appear like a suicide on a railway track and fabricated the necessary evidence to show that Chitra committed suicide. Thus, Gopal escaped from the charges of murder.

Upon hearing this, Latha and Ramadurai reveal themselves as police officers from Singapore enquiring into the mysterious death of Chitra, based on the complaint filed by Raju; Rangan is the local investigating officer. They had enacted this drama since in a case where there is no clinching evidence, getting the killer's confession is the only solution. Latha confesses to a heartbroken Gopal that though she initially pretended to love him, his good nature gradually turned her on and she truly loves him; she promises that she will wait for him till he returns after completing his jail term. Gopal is relieved, gets arrested and goes to jail.

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