COIMBATORE: An elderly couple was murdered and their jewels stolen by unidentified persons in Salem on Sunday.

Police identified the deceased as R Baskaran, 70, who runs a petty shop and his wife B Vidhya (65). They were residing on the ground floor of a house in Jagir Ammapalayam, while their younger son, B Vasudevan (35), who supplies milk, is residing on the first floor.

Police said Vasudevan found the couple battling for life in their house around 3 pm and rushed them to the hospital; however, they died on the way.

On receiving information, the Suramangalam police sent the bodies for post-mortem at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem.

Police suspect the assailants of having stolen the gold chains worn by Baskaran and his wife. A case has been registered by Suramangalam police, and further investigations are on by special teams of police.

In another incident in Coimbatore, an unidentified man was found dead at the abandoned Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) in Vellalore in Coimbatore on Sunday morning.

A team of police from Podanur station rushed to the spot and sent the body for a post-mortem at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). Police suspect the man to be around 40 years old, and an inquiry is under way to ascertain his identity.