TIRUCHY: Orathanadu police are searching for a youth who had murdered his father after quarrel in the influence of alcohol on Monday. It is said, D Elangovan (53) a mason from Ambalapattu near Orathanadu in Thanjavur organised the 16-day ritual on Saturday for his father Duraimanikam who passed away recently.

Elangovan along with his wife Lakshmi and three sons including Thangadurai (25) had conducted the ritual. After the ritual, a drunk Elangovan who was having a non-veg meal with relative assaulted his wife Lakshmi for delaying in giving him more meat. His eldest son who saw his mother being beaten picked up a quarrel with his father.

Though Lakshmi pacified the duo, Thangadurai who was still angry, took an axe and attacked Elangovan to death while he was fast asleep. Based on the complaint by Lakshmi, Pappanadu police registered a case of murder and sent the body for post-mortem. Meanwhile, a search is on for Thangadurai.