CHENNAI: A 52-year-old man was arrested by the Tiruvottiyur police for murdering a woman and injuring her husband in full public view on Tuesday night.
According to the police, the accused was identified as V Sekar of Tiruvottiyur. He was a platform dweller on Sannadhi Street at Tiruvottiyur where he also sold fruits.
Around 8pm on Tuesday, an inebriated Sekar was creating a ruckus at Sannadhi Street by demanding money from passersby. The deceased woman, M Gowri (45), who runs a fruit shop on the platform, had allegedly questioned him.
Sekar who left the spot came back some time later with a knife and slashed Gowri’s neck. Her husband Mari who tried to intervene was injured. As Sekar tried to flee, passersby caught hold of him and handed him over to the police. Gowri and Mari were rushed to Government Stanley Hospital where Gowri was declared brought dead. Mari has been admitted for treatment.
Inquiries revealed that there were run-ins between Sekar and Gowri in the last month. Sekar told the police that a month back, Gowri answered nature’s call close to where Sekar regularly slept. This led to an argument between the two. On Tuesday night, when she reprimanded him for asking for money from passersby, he attacked her in a fit of rage, the police said.