TIRUVALLUR: A 40-year-old woman was found murdered near a farmland at Thotta Reddikuppam village near Uthukottai on Friday morning, with her face severely disfigured. Police identified the deceased as Aruna, a resident of Savarambakkam village near Nagari in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district.
According to police, Aruna had arrived at a relative’s house in Padattur Kandigai village near Thamaraipakkam junction, near Periyapalayam, two days ago to attend a relative’s wedding.
She was found dead near the farmland on Friday morning. Police found marks around her neck indicating that she may have been strangled. Her face had been blackened and appeared burnt, with a black substance resembling grease applied to it.
Local residents alerted the Uthukottai police after noticing the body. A team led by Inspector Devaraj reached the spot, recovered the body and sent it to Tiruvallur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police also recovered a mobile phone from the scene and are investigating the case from various angles. The identity of the suspects and the motive for the murder remain unclear.
Aruna’s thali, earrings and other jewellery were found intact, raising questions about the motive. Police are looking into the circumstances surrounding the murder.
Aruna’s husband, Manjunath Naidu, died about a year ago. Her son and daughter work for IT companies in Bengaluru.