A 76-year-old woman was found murdered in her house at CRO Colony, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Madurai, on Wednesday.
N. Mohana, widow of a retired administrative officer from the agricultural department, was living alone in the house.
The police suspect that it is a case of murder for gain. The woman was last seen on Tuesday morning, the police said.
Ms. Mohana's tenant, Nagarathinam, grew suspicious on Wednesday morning when she noticed that the television set and a fan in the house, locked from outside, were on. She alerted Ms. Mohana's daughter Usha Rani, who lives in the neighbouring Alangulam, and Ms. Rani rushed to the house. They broke open the lock and found Ms. Mohana lying dead on the floor with a nylon rope around her neck and limbs tied. It was said seven sovereigns of gold worn by her are missing.
The Koodal Nagar police are investigating.