Woman found dead in lodge

The police said they received a call and rushed to the makeshift lodging facility functioning in Bhavani Nagar and found the woman frothing from her mouth when they reached. 

She was wearing a green dress. The police could not immediately ascertain the cause of death but did not rule out the possibility of murder. “We don’t know yet, it could be a suicide,” the police said adding that an autopsy report was expected. Investigators said they were checking all missing complaints registered in the nearby stations. CCTV footage was also being examined. 

The police detained Pandian, the owner of the facility, and watchman Velu for questioning. “The watchman says she came around 4 pm on Saturday. However, he claims he was busy after that,” a police officer said. 

Officers said such makeshift, unlicenced lodges seldom maintained guest records. Owners charged around Rs 200 per day and guests claiming to be devotees visiting the Periyapalayam temple used the place to stay overnight.