In a gruesome incident, a 30-year-old man, reportedly mentally unstable, went on an attacking spree, killing a couple after hitting them with a crowbar and injuring five others at AR Mangalam, near here on Friday night.
Police said Palanivel (30) was alone at his house on Friday night after his wife and two children left to visit her mother. Suddenly he started abusing people and attacking his neighbours after picking up a crowbar from his house.
He hit S.Kaliammal (50) and her husband P.Subramani (65) on their heads and stabbed five others with the crowbar. While Kaliammal died on the spot, her husband succumbed to the injuries on the way to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
The five injured, including three women were admitted to the Government Headquarters hospital here, police said. After committing the crime, he fled the scene but was nabbed by the police with the help of villagers.
Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan said the accused was behaving in an abnormal manner, often abusing people in the village. The villagers had arranged a local temple priest to treat him earlier. They brought the priest again on Friday night for treatment, when he got annoyed and started attacking the people, the SP told The Hindu .
“However, we believe he had committed the crime consciously,” the SP said. The accused was remanded to judicial custody.
