CHENNAI: A 52-year-old man allegedly murdered his wife following a domestic dispute and then ended his life in Nanganallur on Monday.

Subramanian (52) and his wife Nagalakshmi (42) lived in Thillaiganga Nagar, Nanganallur.

They have two sons, Harish Bharadwaj (21), a second-year medical student in Russia, and Shailash (18), a first-year dental student in the city.

Nagalakshmi operated silk saree shops in Nanganallur and Anna Nagar, while Subramanian was reportedly unemployed and frequently harassed his wife for money, causing constant quarrels.

Subramanian left home two years ago after a fight and moved in with his sister in Madurai. In this period, Nagalakshmi sent him money via GPay. He returned to Chennai about 10 days ago and quarrels resumed.

On Monday afternoon, Subramanian sent a WhatsApp message to Shailash, who was at college, which read, "Your mother and I will no longer be at home. I have kept food for you. Come home and eat."

Suspicious, Shailash rushed home and found Nagalakshmi lying in a pool of blood in one room, with fatal cuts to her hand, head, and neck inflicted by a sickle. In another room, Subramanian was found hanging from a ceiling fan.

Police investigation suggests that after a heated argument, Subramanian left home, bought a sickle, returned, and attacked his wife before hanging himself. Nagalakshmi was reportedly under debt related to her business.

The Adambakkam police have recovered the bodies and sent them to Tambaram Government Hospital for post-mortem.