CHENNAI: The Avadi city police are investigating the death of a 27-year-old Village Administrative Officer (VAO) of Keerapakkam village, who was found deceased at her Avadi residence on Tuesday morning.

While her parents state she took her own life after a domestic argument, her boyfriend, who is also VAO, has filed a complaint alleging she was murdered over their inter-caste relationship.

The deceased, R Aruna, had served as a VAO for two years. According to police sources, she was in a relationship with Sivabharathi (27), VAO of Pakkam village, whom she met during training. The relationship reportedly faced strong opposition from Aruna’s parents due to caste differences, and they had been urging her to marry a relative — a proposal she consistently refused.

Aruna was found unresponsive on Tuesday morning and pronounced dead upon arrival at Stanley Hospital. Her parents filed a police report stating she had consumed pesticide following a quarrel over household chores, leading to an FIR under the relevant Section at Tirupalaivanam police station.

Subsequently, Sivabharathi filed a separate complaint accusing Aruna’s parents of poisoning her food. He also alleged that her brother, a policeman, had previously threatened her with a firearm. Sivabharathi has submitted evidence to support his claims.

A senior police officer from the Red Hills range stated, “The initial autopsy shows no signs of struggle, and no suicide note was found. A special team is reviewing the evidence provided by the boyfriend.” The investigation remains ongoing.