COIMBATORE: More than a month after an elderly woman was murdered in Pollachi, Coimbatore District (Rural) Police have arrested her 75-year-old neighbour in a case of murder for gain. She was remanded in Coimbatore prison on Thursday.
The accused, N Saroja (75), allegedly killed her friend and neighbour Visalatchi (77) and stole her gold jewellery.
Saroja attempted to mislead investigators by planting false evidence at the crime scene, including discarded cigarette butts, an empty liquor bottle, and snack wrappers, to create the impression that the crime was committed by a man under the influence of alcohol, the police said. Visalatchi, a widow, had been living alone at her residence in Anbu Nagar, after the death of her husband Rajagopal, a retired TNEB staffer.
On February 21, her son Namachivayam visited the house after she failed to answer his calls. Finding the door locked from the inside, he checked through a window and found her dead. During inquiry, police found that 85 sovereigns of gold had gone missing. A case was registered by the Pollachi West (Bazaar) police.
The police analysed footage from over 50 CCTV cameras. While the planted evidence initially misled the probe, suspicion later fell on Saroja after her movements on CCTV matched the time of the crime.
A search of her belongings revealed materials similar to those found at the crime scene. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime, the police said. Saroja, also a widow, was aware that Visalatchi lived alone. She collected items like cigarette and beedi butts to stage the scene, the police added. On February 20, she visited Visalatchi’s house, demanded her jewellery, and allegedly killed her when she resisted.
Saroja had kept the jewels inside her clothes and was planning to dispose them of when the police caught her. Saroja’s husband was a police officer.