A 72-year-old man was murdered in his house in Zamin Raayapettai near Chromepet. The body of T. Kuppuswami, a former municipal councillor and owner of a hardware store, was first noticed by an employee of the store on Saturday morning.
Raja came to Mr. Kuppuswami’s house around 7.30 a.m. to collect the keys of Renugambal Hardware Store, which is owned by the latter. He found the main door of the house ajar and when he opened it, saw his employer lying in a pool of blood in the living room. Raja raised an alarm and neighbours came rushing to the house.
Soon, personnel from Chitlapakkam police station reached the spot. Mr. Kuppuswami had suffered several blows on the head from a blunt instrument — either a wooden club or an iron rod. Forensic experts arrived on the spot and ‘Beema’ from the dog squad was also brought to aid the investigation. The dog picked up a scent and went up to Nehru Nagar, a few kilometres away from the scene of crime, and stopped near a building under construction, said policemen.
Preliminary investigations reveal there was no forced entry into the house and that the victim is likely to have opened the door himself giving rise to speculation that murder was committed by someone known to him. The house’s main entrance is on Periya Street opposite Padavettamman Temple, while the back door of the house leads to his hardware store on Aalamaram Street.
Mr. Kuppuswami lived with his wife Krishnaveni while his children live elsewhere. On Friday morning, Ms. Krishnaveni had left for a tour of temples and is on her way to Odisha. Only after her return can it be established if any jewellery or cash is missing. Mr. Kuppuswami was a councillor of Pallavaram Municipality, representing Pattali Makkal Katchi in 1985.
