A 60-year-old Siddha practitioner and his 55-year-old wife were murdered in their home by a trespasser near Avadi on Sunday evening. On Monday, the Avadi police arrested a suspect who visited the clinic a couple of times earlier as a patient.
The police identified the victims as Sivan Nair and his wife Prasannakumari of Gandhi Nagar Second Street in Mittanamalli, near Avadi. After retiring from the army, Sivan Nair ran a Siddha and Ayurveda practice at his house. The son of the couple is also a Siddha practitioner, while their daughter lives abroad.
Upon receiving information about the couple’s death, police personnel reached the spot and found each body in two different locations. While Prasannakumari’s body was inside the house, Sivan Nair’s was at the clinic in the veranda. The police cordoned off the area.
Ayman Jamal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Avadi, and other senior officers reached the crime scene and conducted preliminary inquiries. During this, it was found that nobody in the neighbourhood had heard noises indicating what was going on inside the house or of any struggle. Sniffer dogs were also deployed, and forensic experts collected evidence and fingerprints to trace the suspect.
Based on a complaint from the victims’ son, Hari Om Shri, the Muthapudupet police registered a case and special teams launched an investigation on Sunday night.
On Monday, the police arrested the suspect Mahesh Tararam, a youth from Rajasthan staying in Valasaravakkam. Avadi Police Commissioner K. Shankar said: “Our personnel quickly collected the CCTV camera footage and a mobile phone used by the suspect. Based on the footage and evidence at the crime scene, we were able to secure the suspect.”
Mahesh Tararam
Suspect confesses
The police said Mahesh was found wearing a blood-stained shirt at the time of arrest and had an injury on his hand, which he suffered when committing the crime. Moreover, he confessed to the murders during interrogation, the police added.
The police said that when Mahesh worked at a hardware shop in Muthapudupet in 2019, he had visited Sivan’s clinic a few times to get medicine for acidity. Using his acquaintance with Sivan as an excuse, Mahesh would frequently enter the house without permission. Prasannakumari had complained about this to both her husband and her son.
On Sunday, Mahesh had noticed that the couple was alone in the house and barged in. He assaulted Prasannakumari following a heated argument. He murdered her first before moving on to Sivan. Then he fled the scene, the police said. The police produced Mahesh before a court and remanded him in judicial custody.
Mr. Shankar said, “We will take him into custody soon and further interrogate him.”
