Man kills father, grandmother over property row

Within a few hours of the crime, the 26-year-old accused, Santhosh Kumar, and his mother Gomathi Devi surrendered at the Chithode police station. According to sources Palaniswami (55) husband of Gomathi Devi (48), was working as a field officer in a leading insurance firm at Erode. 

For some time, Santosh Kumar had been seeking money from Palaniswami, who owned property worth more than Rs 100 crore, to expand his pharmaceutical products dealership business. 

Palaniswami had told his son that he would give a share in his property once he gets married. Due to the dispute, Palaniswami was living with his mother Pavayee at Vasuvapatti village near Chithode. Meanwhile, efforts of relatives to effect a compromise between the son and father went in vain. 

On Thursday morning, Sathosh along with his mother went to Vasuvapatti, where a quarrel erupted between the father and son. In a fit of rage, Sathosh pulled out a gun and reportedly shot his father and grandmother to death. 

The mother-son duo closed the door and fled the place in a car. Neighbours, who heard gun shots grew suspicious as there was no movement in the house and alerted the relatives of the victims. Relatives rushed to the house and found the victims in a pool of blood with bullet injuries on their head and chest. Later, their bodies were taken to the Erode Government Hospital for post mortem. 

R Sivakumar, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Erode and other officers conducted preliminary inquiries. Santhosh and Gomathidevi surrendered in the police station and confessed to the crime.