In a significant breakthrough, the Chennai Police on Wednesday solved the murder for gain case reported in the Nungambakkam police station limits on January 2, police sources said.
A special team formed to investigate the case followed specific clues and apprehended a suspect whose name was given as Arockiadas (34), a habitual offender. While confirming that the fingerprints lifted from the scene of crime matched with those of the suspect, investigators said Arockiadas was involved in many other cases, including a robbery in R.A. Puram.
The case pertains to the murder of Seethalakshmi (52), a bank employee who lived in Mahalingapuram. The accused person who gained entry through the opening of window air-conditioner during the early hours of January 2 strangulated Seethalakshmi who was sleeping with her sister Prabhavathi (54), also a bank official.
When Prabhavathi tried to raise an alarm on hearing her sister's cries, the suspect threatened to kill her. The victims cooperated by handing over their gold jewellery. He escaped after rummaging through the almirah and cupboards in the house.
Seethalakshmi, who struggled to breathe, was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. Forensic experts gathered evidence at the murder scene, including some fingerprints. Acting on the instructions of Commissioner of Police J.K. Tripathy, the team coordinated with the State Crime Records Bureau and narrowed down on Arockiadas, a native of Sivaganga district. Preliminary enquiry revealed that the suspect was living in the Kodambakkam area and operating for more than 10 years now. His fingerprint was recorded during a preventive arrest made in Adyar district in 2009. Investigation was on to check whether Arockiadas had any associates in his criminal activities and also how he chose houses for committing robberies, the sources added.
