CHENNAI: A 71-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by a man who escaped with three-sovereigns of gold ornament she was wearing.

The suspect created a scene in the house as if she had died by suicide, the police said. The SRMC police have identified a suspect and have launched a search.

Police said that the deceased woman, V Gandhimathi was living alone in a portion of her house since her husband’s death in Porur. Her son was living in the adjacent portion with his family. On Tuesday night, as Gandhimathi did not come out of her house for a long time, her son checked and found her dead in one of her room and the scene indicated a death by suicide, the police said.

The body was sent for post-mortem. Gandhimathi’s family also complained that the gold jewels weighing three sovereigns were missing. Preliminary checks at the hospital indicated injuries on the neck and it was found that Gandhimathi was strangled to death.

The police launched an investigation which pointed to the 20-year-old tenant Ajay who lived next door. The police arrested him from Dindigul.