CHENNAI: A 78-year-old man was allegedly murdered by his son in Valasarvakkam and his chopped body parts were buried 100 km away in Ranipet district. The incident came to light after the victim’s daughter registered a missing complaint on Thursday night.
The victim, T Kumaresan, a retired Central government employee, lived in Thandavamoorthy Nagar in Valasaravakkam. After his wife passed away in 2019, he lived on the second floor of his house with his eldest daughter Kanchana Mala (55). The accused, Gunasekaran (50), an electrical engineer, stays on the first floor with his family, police said. Kanchana Mala’s husband died in 2016 and after her children got married, she moved back home to take care of her ageing father.
“She had gone to visit her husband’s family in Mandaveli on May 15 and returned on Thursday. When she found the house locked and Kumaresan missing, she called up Gunasekaran and asked about their father. He said he did not know and suggested they search around Vadapalani,” a police officer said.“Around 8 pm, Gunaskeran left saying he would search near the Sivan temple, and switched off his mobile phone,” police said.
After failing to locate her father, Mala went home. Suspecting foul play, she broke open the door with the help of neighbours. Inside, they encountered a foul smell and saw blood stains on the floor. She filed a missing person complaint at the Valasaravakkam police station. Forensic experts and a sniffer dog were pressed into service.
During questioning, Gunasekaran’s wife told the police he went to visit his friend Venkatesan at Kaveripakkam in Ranipet on Wednesday morning. “Gunasekaran had met Venkatesan to look for a piece of land to set up a tiles showroom in Ranipet. On Thursday night before switching off his phone, he had again contacted Venkatesan,” police said.
Quoting eyewitnesses, police said Gunasekaran was seen driving a minivan with a plastic barrel wrapped with clothes and a shovel. On reaching Ranipet, Gunasekaran met Venkatesan and allegedly told him he wanted to bury certain items that used for a special pooja to ward off evil. He then asked his friend to leave. With help of a local labourer, he dug a pit and allegedly buried his father’s body,” the police officer said. Gunasekaran is on the run.