Salem: An elderly couple was found murdered in their home near Kadaiyampatty in Salem district late on Monday night. Preliminary investigation suggests that they were murdered by robbers.The deceased have been identified as K Jayaraman, 85, and his wife Amaravathi, 70. The couple lived alone and earned a living by weaving products from coconut leaves.“Amaravathi’s gold earrings and nose ring were missing, raising suspicions that the murder was committed for robbery. There are also signs of the couple being attacked with sticks, resulting in fatal head injuries,” said Salem district superintendent of police S Kuthalingam.The crime came to light when the couple’s grandson Navaneethan, who regularly brought them food, visited their house around 9am on Tuesday.Police were alerted and soon officials, including Salem district SP S Kuthalingam, Omalur DSP Sanjeev Kumar and Theevattipatty inspector Periyasamy inspected the crime scene. Fingerprint experts and a sniffer dog were also deployed to gather evidence. “We are probing whether the motive for the murder was purely theft or if there were other reasons behind the gruesome incident,” the SP said.Meanwhile, the brutal double murder has left Kadaiyampatty in shock, with relatives and locals expressing fear over the vulnerability of elderly residents living alone.(Photos: AM Shudhagar)
