Cops recover elderly woman's body parts from Adyar River
The victim, identified as C Vijaya (78), a resident of MGR Nagar, was missing since July 17, as per a complaint filed by her daughter.
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CHENNAI: Police on Sunday recovered the body of the elderly woman, who was murdered by her neighbours (a young couple) 10 days ago in MGR Nagar near Nesapakkam and dumped the body in Adyar river near Saidapet.
The deceased was identified as C Vijaya (70). The couple’s initial intention was to steal Rs 20,000 cash from her house. When Vijaya caught C Parthiban (32) and his wife, P Sangeetha (28) red-handed, they beat her to death. They took the cash, and 1.5 sovereign gold jewellery before dumping her body.
After they were arrested, what perturbed the family members even more than the gruesome act was that the suspects had joined them while searching for the ‘missing Vijaya’. “He came with us to the police station, and also helped us pasting posters in the neighbourhood,” a relative told mediapersons.
Vijaya was reported missing by her daughter, Loganayaki, on July 17. Both women were working as housekeeping staff and also took up other menial jobs.
The accused were Vijaya’s neighbours for the last six months. They had learnt about the reserve cash she kept in a bag and plotted to steal it, a police officer said. Though Parthiban had accompanied the family in search of the ‘missing Vijaya’, police suspected him after he did not turn up for enquiry. He had locked his house and absconded.
Police sources said that he had attempted to mislead investigators by claiming that Vijaya had frequent quarrels with her daughters and she must have left the house, depressed over that.
“The couple too did menial jobs and faced financial difficulties due to Sangeetha’s losses due to online gambling. Since they had access to Vijaya’s house, they thought they could rob her, but things got worse,” according to a police officer.
After beating Vijaya to death on July 17, they dragged her body to their house, kept it overnight. During the early hours of July 18, they put the body in a sack and transported it in Parthiban’s two-wheeler. A police officer said that Parthiban had a previous case against him in which he allegedly tried to rob a woman under the pretext of seeking a house for rent.
The couple were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
