A retired cooperative department auditor R. Santhaivazhiyan (61), who slipped into comatose after armed robbers attacked him on his head at his residence in Tiruppalai on March 17, succumbed to injuries on Monday night.
The Tallakulam police who had then registered a case of robbery altered it to murder for gain.
Masked men broke into the house near Yadava College for Men in the small hours and snatched gold chains from him and his wife, Dhanalakshmi, who were fast asleep. However, the gang members when tried to remove his gold ring, the man woke up.
One of them started to cut the finger to pull out the ring and when Santhaivazhiyan offered resistance, he was pushed to the floor that caused injury on his head, the police said. The man, who swooned at the house, slipped into comatose.
A series of surgeries were performed on the head during his prolonged stay in two private hospitals. The family had spent over Rs.6 lakh on his treatment. His body was handed over to the family members after post-mortem.
The Tallakulam police said that one of the accused in the case was nabbed in April, 2015 and four sovereigns of gold were recovered from him. The police are on the lookout for three other accused. The robbers had planned to strike another posh house in the locality. However, the wooden door that was left open for ventilation at Santhaivazhiyan’s house lured them, the police said.
Police who had
then registered a case of robbery altered it to
murder for gain
