TENKASI: Six months after a 68-year-old woman was fatally assaulted near Kadayanallur, the police apprehended a 17-year-old ITI student in connection with the murder on Saturday. The juvenile — a close relative of the deceased — was sent to a government observation home, following directions from the Juvenile Justice Board.
According to Sendamaram police, the deceased and the juvenile in conflict with law belonged to the same village — Chinnathambi Nadaroor.
Sources said as the woman who had gone to graze her cattle on the evening of November 30, 2024, did not return home, her nephew went in search of her, and found her lying unconscious in a pool of blood with multiple injuries.
She was rushed to the Tenkasi District Government Headquarters Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries a week later, added sources.
Under the supervision of Superintendent of Police S Aravind, a special team led by Inspector Adivel camped in the village for two months to solve the case.
The team analysed over 3,000 instances of mobile network data and reviewed footage from more than 40 CCTV cameras in the surrounding areas. Despite their efforts, no breakthrough was achieved in the case until recently after the police intensified the investigation.
The sources added, “The police found that the elderly woman had a long-standing property dispute with one of her relatives. The juvenile, son of the relative, allegedly attacked the woman with a metal rod after the latter made derogatory remarks against him.”
The police are investigating whether gold ornaments of the deceased were stolen, added sources.