CHENNAI: An automobile engineer was arrested by Saidapet Police on Thursday for allegedly murdering his mother and sister in a cold-blooded manner.
The victims S.Hemalatha (57), a staff at the Anna University, and her daughter Jayalakshmi (22), a final year engineering student, were found dead on Wednesday evening at their house in an apartment at K Pillayar Koil Street in Saidapet.
When Yashodha, a relative to the family called them over mobile, there was no response. She rushed to the house and found the two women were in a pool of blood. Immediately, police were alerted. Sundaravadivelu, DCP, Adyar and other officers visited the scene of crime. A sniffer dog was deployed. Forensic Experts collected fingerprints from the spot.
Initial investigation revealed that Hemalatha’s husband Shanmugam had died recently and she was living with her son - Balamurugan, who was working in a private firm in Taramani, after completion of post graduation in automobile engineering - along with her daughter Jayalakshmi.
Balamurugan was missing and his mobile phone was also switched off. His laptop and three mobile phones were hidden in the home. Police suspected his involvement in the crimea. The watchman on duty at the apartments told police that he saw Balamurugan coming to the house at 3.p.m and leaving by 6 p.m.
Police traced down Balamurugan and arrested him in Kelambakkam on Thursday. During interrogation, he disclosed that he was upset over the death of his father who was like a friend to him. He also told police that he has not many friends and the death of his father left him depressed.
Balamurugan told police that he had attempted suicide due to frustration and he stayed alone in a hotel in Royapettah for a few weeks. He thought that his mother and sister would be orphaned if he committed suicide and therefore decided to kill them first, the police said.
So, he bought a knife and stabbed his mother on her neck first and after waiting for his sister to return from college, he stabbed her the same way. After committing the murders, he fled from the spot.
He was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
EOM
