COIMBATORE: An unidentified man killed a 70-year-old farmer and sexually assaulted his wife in Uthangarai on Sunday night.
The farmer was reportedly sleeping outside his farmhouse while his wife slept indoors. Around 11 pm, an unknown semi-clad man entered the premises and struck the farmer on the head with a stone.
Hearing his cries, the elderly woman rushed outside, but the assailant forcibly took her inside the house and sexually assaulted her. By the time nearby farmers arrived at the scene, the suspect had fled.
They were shocked to find the farmer in a critical condition with profuse bleeding, while his wife also sustained severe injuries.
Police said the couple was immediately taken to Uthangarai Government Hospital. The farmer succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival at the hospital, while his wife was moved to Krishnagiri GH for further treatment.
Following the incident, Salem Range DIG Santhosh Hadimani, Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police P Thangadurai, and other officials visited the crime scene and conducted an inquiry.
Forensic teams collected evidence, and a sniffer dog was deployed to track the suspect. The Singarapettai police have registered a case, and special teams have launched a search for the attacker.