Namakkal: A couple was arrested on Wednesday night in connection with the murder of an elderly woman in Namakkal district on Monday.The arrested have been identified as K Ramajayan, 42, and his wife Selvi, 38, both from near Thiruchengode. They were arrested from Palamadai, following a tip- off. Police were on the lookout for the couple, after investigation revealed that they were involved in the murder of Rathinammal, 90, of Kali Velampalayam in Thokkavadi Panchayat. The woman’s body was found in her house on Tuesday morning, after which Tiruchengodu Rural police registered a case and began investigating. During inquiry police came to know that Ramajayam had visited Rathinammal on Saturday and paid an advance of 500 to rent her house. He was again seen visiting the woman around 8.30pm on Monday.Investigation revealed that when Ramajayam visited the elderly woman on Monday, he was intoxicated. Seeing him drunk, Rathinammal scolded him and refused to rent out her house. “It led to an argument during which Ramajayam picked up a grinding stone and hit Rathinammal on her face, killing her. He then dragged her body into the house, wrapped it in a bed sheet, and placed it under the bed. He also stole a chain and a pair of studs which the woman was wearing, before fleeing from the place,” said a police officer. Ramajayam later called his wife and told her that he had found some gold jewellery and asked her to accompany him to sell it. The couple along with their son travelled to Erode, where they attempted to pledge the ornaments. However, the jeweller told them that the chain was not gold. The couple then headed to Palamadai, when they sold the gold studs weighing 4 grams for 26,000. Shortly after they were apprehended by the police and brought to Tiruchengode. Ramajayam was booked for murder and theft, while his wife was booked for attempting to sell the stolen jewellery. Both were produced before the criminal magistrate court judge and remanded in custody at the Salem central prison on Thursday morning.
