COIMBATORE: A 75-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday for allegedly murdering her elderly neighbour and stealing gold jewellery in Pollachi near Coimbatore.
The accused, identified as Saroja from Anbu Nagar, killed 77-year-old Visalatchi, who lived alone in the same neighbourhood, on February 20. The two women had known each other for over 15 years and were said to share a close friendship, frequently visiting each other’s homes.
According to police, Saroja attacked the victim, repeatedly hitting her and slamming her head against a wall before smothering her with a pillow, leading to her death. She then allegedly removed approximately 8.5 sovereigns of gold jewellery worn by the victim.
Investigators revealed that the accused had carefully planned the crime. In an attempt to mislead police, she reportedly placed cigarette butts, beedi remnants and an empty liquor bottle inside the house to create the impression that men were involved in the murder.
The crime came to light the following day, February 21, when Visalatchi’s son discovered her dead at home and alerted authorities. The Pollachi West police registered a case and launched an investigation.
Using CCTV footage from the locality, police tracked the suspect and recovered items matching those found at the crime scene from her residence. The stolen gold ornaments were also recovered following interrogation. Saroja was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.