COIMBATORE: An elderly couple which ran a grocery shop was found hacked to death at their home in Jagir Ammapalayam in Salem, on Sunday.
Police identified the deceased as Baskaran (60) B Vidhya (60). Police said the aged couple ran a grocery shop for several years and their two married sons lived separately on the same street.
On Sunday afternoon, when residents of the same street came to the shop to purchase groceries, the door of the house was ajar, but neither the husband nor the wife responded.
One resident who entered the house found the couple hacked to death. Neighbours found Vidhya had died. They rushed Baskaran to the government hospital, but he died on the way. Suramangalam police went to the spot and launched an inquiry.
Salem city Police Commissioner Praveen Kumar Abhinapu visited the spot and conducted an inspection. Sniffer dogs were pressed into service and forensic experts also conducted an investigation.
A top police officer told TNIE that the couple could have been murdered for jewels. He added that during initial inquiry, it was found that the gold chains worn by Vidhya were missing, but some jewels were at home. He said that the police have formed six special teams and the bodies have been sent to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Hospital for post-mortem.