Within 10 hours of crime, the police cracked a murder for gain case and arrested the accused at Chithode in the district.
According to the police, Valarmathi (55), wife of E. Ganesan, a retired professor, was found murdered at their house at K.K. Nagar in Kalingarayan Palayam in Chithode on Thursday afternoon. The chain that she was wearing was missing.
P. Balaji, ADSP Head Quarter, C. Karthikeyan, DSP Bhavani, Inspectors Murugaiyan (Chithode) and Krishnamoorthy (Ammapettai) held inquiries.Chithode police sent the body to Government Erode Medical College Hospital at Perundurai and a case was registered under Sections 449 (house trespass), 302 (murder) and 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the murder took place between 12.15 p.m. and 12.45 p.m. CCTV footage collected from the area showed the entry and exit of an unidentified man into the house. A special team searched for the accused with the help of the image and nabbed him at a nearby bus stop at 10 p.m.
The man was identified as D. Raja alias Nicholas (40), who worked in a mess at Lakshmi Nagar.
Inquiries revealed that the accused and his wife had resided near the victim’s house for eight years and were known to them. During COVID-19 lockdown, he lost his income and shifted to another locality.
On Thursday, he went to the victim’s house and sought ₹ 3,000. Since he did not repay earlier dues, the victim refused to give money. A wordy quarrel erupted and the man stabbed her and robbed the jewellery.
