CHENNAI: An elderly couple were found dead in an underground water sump in their house with their throats slit, in Chengalpattu district around midnight on Saturday. The police were surprised to find that the room they were killed in was washed with turmeric to remove the odour of the blood.
The motive behind the crime is not yet known, and no suspects have been caught. The deceased were identified as Samson Dinakaran (63), a retired staff of CMWSSB, and his second wife, Janet (52). Dinakaran’s first wife Alia (53), son Immanuel (28) and daughter Benita (30) live in Guduvanchery, the police said. Samson and Janet had been married for more than a decade, and lived in Kolapakkam, near Vandalur, the police said, adding that they didn’t have any children.
“Benita tried to call her father on Friday night as it was pouring in and around the city. But her calls went unanswered that day and the next. She then alerted Dinakaran’s neighbour, who checked and told her there was no one in the house but the backdoor was open,” said a senior police officer.
Benita then rushed to the house with her mother and brother and found the front door locked from the inside and the back door open. The Vandalur and Otteri police were alerted to search for the missing couple after a complaint was lodged. While a police team visited the house, another team found Dinakaran’s phone near a petrol bunk at Alapakkam near Nedungundram.
‘Entire room in the house was washed up with turmeric’
"The personnel noticed that an entire room in the house had been washed with turmeric. On examination, they found blood stains in the room. We suspect the offenders murdered the couple in the room, wiped the blood stains, and washed the room after sprinkling turmeric," said the officer, adding that turmeric could be used to sanitise the room and control the smell of blood.
On searching further, the police found the bodies of the couple with their throats slit, in a water sump. The bodies were sent to the Chromepet Government Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The police pointed out that the suspects entered the house though there were two pet dogs on the first floor. A case has been registered and an investigation is on.
In 2019, two elderly couples were murdered in Avadi and Tambaram, and their household helps were arrested in connection with the crimes.
‘Turmeric cover-up attempted’
The police said the suspects sprinkled turmeric and washed the floor of the room in which the couple were murdered, to remove the odour of blood