A 36-year-old woman was murdered in her house in the TNHB quarters on the Ninth Street in New Washermenpet on Tuesday. Although an eight sovereign gold chain was missing from the dead woman, police ruled out murder for gain as other valuables, including gold ear rings and bangles, remained intact.
B. Rekha, a mother of two, was lying in a pool of blood in the living room, her throat slit. Police received an alert around 5 p.m. on Tuesday when the children returned from school and saw their mother dead.
Police said that there was no evidence of struggle and the accused seems to have entered the house without difficulty. “We suspect someone known to her must be involved,” said a police officer.
Rekha’s husband M. Bhaskar (40) runs two petrol bunks in Cheyyar in the neighbouring Tiruvannamalai district. Rekha, her children and her father-in-law K. Madanagopal, a building contractor, lived on the first floor of the building while the ground floor was rented out. On Tuesday, the children saw the house locked and took the spare keys from the tenant. “Rekha never allowed strangers into her house. She used to lend money to the neighbours and relatives,” said a neighbour.
A police team led by ACP (Tiruvottiyur), A.D. Mohanraj inspected the crime spot. Sniffer dogs were brought to the scene and fingerprints lifted.
The body has been taken to the Government Stanley Hospital for post mortem.
