Chennai, March 6 A man accused of murdering an elderly woman and her daughter was arrested in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi on Thursday after a brief police encounter.
The double murder occurred on March 3 in Melanambipuram near Ettayapuram. Following the crime, Ettayapuram police registered a case and launched a massive manhunt, forming nine special teams to track down the suspect, identified as Muneeswaran.
Acting on a tip-off, police conducted aerial surveillance using a drone camera and located his hideout in a remote area.
Upon realising that the police had discovered his location, Muneeswaran attempted to flee. During the chase, he attacked two officers, Sub-Inspector Muthuraj and Constable Joyson. In response, the police fired at him in self-defence, hitting his left knee.
He was subsequently arrested and is currently hospitalized.
The victims, 70-year-old P. Seethalakshmi and her 48-year-old daughter V. Ramajayanthi, were found dead inside their home after neighbours alerted the police. They had not been seen since the previous evening.
Ramajayanthi, who had separated from her husband a few years ago, was living with her parents. Her father, Poovan, had recently passed away.
The bodies were sent to the Tuticorin Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.
Initial investigations revealed that the women were smothered to death, and their gold ornaments were missing.
Seethalakshmi’s mobile phone was found discarded on the Melanambipuram-Kottur rural road. Fingerprint and forensic experts were called in to collect evidence.
Thoothukudi District Superintendent of Police Albert John visited the crime scene and led the investigation.
Four special teams were initially formed to determine whether the deaths were due to suicide, murder for gain, or another motive.
Tamil Nadu Police have previously resorted to encounter killings of hardened criminals.
Following the broad daylight murder of Tamil Nadu BSP state president K. Armstrong, the police have shot dead three gangsters in alleged encounters. Several political parties, including CPI(M), a DMK ally, have strongly criticised what they call extrajudicial killings carried out by the Tamil Nadu Police.
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