TIRUPPUR: Nearly three weeks have passed since three members of a family were beaten to death in a farm house near Avinashipalayam, yet district police are unable to make a breakthrough in the investigation despite forming 14 special teams. Meanwhile, police are educating people living in isolated houses on farm land to install CCTV cameras in their homes.
In the wee hours on November 29, Deivasikamani, (78), his wife Amalathal, (75), and son Senthilkumar, (46) were beaten to death inside their house located in a coconut grove at Semalaigoundanpalayam near Avinashipalayam. Police estimated that 8 sovereigns of jewels were stolen from the house. Fourteen special teams are investigating the case. However, no suspect has been identified yet.
Explaining the challenges in investigation, a senior police officer on Tuesday told TNIE, “There are no surveillance cameras in or around the house. The nearest CCTV camera is located 2 km from the scene of incident. We are looking for leads from old cases. In addition, recordings from 265 surveillance cameras have been collected from villages up to Karur on the district border. We have collected 15 days of footage. We are also looking at fingerprints of people who have been arrested in the last 10 years in major crimes in Tiruppur, Karur and Erode districts. We are also collecting details of suspects with criminal backgrounds in 18 police stations in the three districts. The suspects will be arrested soon.”
KG Sivakumar, DSP of Avinashi, said, “Around 130 houses that are in isolated farmlands have been identified in Avinashi, Perumanallur, Cheyur and Kunnathur police stations limits. We are spreading awareness by issuing pamphlets to the people living in these farmhouses.”
In the pamphlets, police stress the need to install CCTV cameras in residential areas, farmhouses, and homes of elderly people.
People can contact the special branch police on 9498101320, 8072560548 (WhatsApp), and Avinashi DSP on 9498101321 and the toll-free number 100.