Tenants arrested for murder of home alone woman in Taramani

CHENNAI: City Police on Sunday arrested three persons of the same family, including a 21-year-old woman and her 18-year-old brother in connection with the murder of an elderly woman in Taramani.

The accused were tenants in the house of the 65-year-old woman and had murdered her after an altercation over the victim asking them to vacate the house, police said.

The deceased, S Santhakumari, a widow, who was living in Kambar Street in Taramani was found dead by her family members on Sunday morning. One of her grandsons, who lives in the same neighbourhood found the elderly woman lying unconscious with injuries on her body.

A team from Taramani Police station reached the scene and moved her body to Government Royapettah Hospital, where she was declared brought dead.

"There was an injury on her face, which seem to have been caused by hitting with an object. There were also some injuries which seem to resemble bite marks. We are awaiting the results of post mortem," said a police officer.

Taramani Police who had registered a case of murder on Sunday night arrested V Shrisha (21), her brother V Vijay Babu (18) and their mother V Mary (40). Investigations revealed that the accused were staying in the first floor house of the victim and the latter had asked them to vacate the house soon.

Enraged by this, Shrisha and her brother Vijay Babu went to Shanthakumari's house on Sunday morning and picked up an argument. "When the argument escalated, Shrisha strangled the elderly woman with her dupatta while her brother held her," a police officer said.

Police brushed aside reports that cash worth Rs 3.5 lakh was stolen. The arrested were produced before a magistrate and remanded in custody.