Chennai: Police have arrested a migrant labourer who brutally attacked and hacked to death a Malayali couple in Avadi. Mahesh (22), a native of Rajasthan, has been arrested for murdering Siddha doctor Sivan Nair (71) and his wife Prasannakumari (62), originally from Kerala. They resided at Mittanemili Gandhi Road, Muthapudupet in Avadi.
Mahesh, who entered the clinic attached to the house under the pretext of seeking treatment, stabbed and hacked Prasannamumari to death with a sharp weapon. When Sivan Nair came out upon hearing the commotion, the assailant attacked him as well, according to police. Both of them suffered fatal injuries. The mobile phone found next to Prasannakumari’s body helped police trace the accused. Police also mentioned that the accused had previously sought treatment at the clinic.
The motive
Apart from a previous feud between them, a dispute over sending money for the purchase of medicine through Google Pay also reportedly provoked the attack, according to police. The motive behind the brutal murder of the Malayali couple in Avadi stemmed from the exposure of the questionable character of the accused. Police discovered that the perpetrator, who hacked the couple to death, had an addiction to pornographic videos. Complaints had arisen about his inappropriate behaviour towards women while working at a nearby shop. Prasannakumari had tried to keep him away from the clinic when he sought treatment. Subsequently, due to these complaints, he was compelled to leave his job at the shop too. Police believe that he returned to the clinic armed with a weapon to settle this grudge. Authorities also suspect that the Google Pay transaction may have been premeditated by the accused.
Investigators have obtained CCTV footage of the accused approaching the house and returning at 5:15 pm. It is suspected that he initially left because Sivan Nair's son, Hari Omsree, was at home at that time. Upon confirming his absence, Mahesh returned and committed the murders. A woman who had come to consult the doctor around 8 pm on Sunday discovered Sivan Nair’s body at the car porch of their house.
Sivan Nair, an ex-serviceman from Manathoor in Pizhaku, Kottayam, belongs to the Pazhayakulathu family. His wife, Prasannakumari, was a resident of Pushpavilasam in Erumeli and served as a teacher at the Army School. The couple has been residing in Avadi since 1997. Their children, Sriganga (based in Australia) and Hari Omsree, are both Ayurvedic doctors. Vidya is their daughter-in-law.
Both of them were active in social activities in the area, and the Malayali community in the locality is in a state of shock over the unbelievable incident. Sivan Nair, who worked in the mechanical department of the army, started an Ayurvedic agency after his retirement. He was also an active member of the Air Force Malayali Association, Ex-Servicemen Association, and Avadi NSS.
Police search for weapons
The police are making every effort to locate the weapon used to kill the couple, as it will be crucial evidence. The wounds indicate that a sharp weapon was used for the double murder. The victims suffered deep cuts on their hips and neck. The preliminary conclusion is that the cause of death was due to the depth of the wounds, which caused profuse bleeding.
