COIMBATORE: The Erode police have begun collecting details of elderly people living in farmhouses and isolated places following the brutal murder of an elderly couple for gain, which sent shockwaves across the State.
Seventy-five-year-old Ramasamy, a farmer, and his wife Bakkiyam (70), who were living alone in a farmhouse in Sivagiri, were brutally murdered by robbers who hit them with an iron rod for their 10.75 sovereigns of gold jewels.
Following this incident, more than 200 cops roped in from various police stations across the district and as well as from neighbouring districts such as the Nilgiris, Krishnagiri, and Salem, have taken up the task of identifying farmhouses and gathering details of the occupants.
They have set out to gather personal details of elderly residents, the distance of the nearest bus stops, railway station, and the Tasmac shop. Police also insisted that the families fix CCTV and raise dogs for their safety.
The elderly people were advised not to open the door without verifying the identity of a person and to inform the police if they came across anyone suspicious in their neighbourhood.
V Sasi Mohan, DIG, Coimbatore Range, said that investigations are heading in the right direction and exuded hope of nabbing the assailants in the double murder case soon. “Ten special teams are probing the case. The call records are being analysed, and CCTV footage is being monitored. All suspects were questioned, and those with criminal antecedents were brought under our radar,” he said.