Vadapalani murder: Cops struggle to identify suspects

Police officers said that the victim Gnanapriya’s husband Balaganesh alias Prabhu returned to the city on Friday after her funeral in their hometown Kancheepuram and appeared before police as summoned. Though the investigation officer said that Prabhu has not provided them with any crucial information, sources said that he gave contradicting statements and officers have been grilling him for more details.

Police said that there is no CCTV in the two-storeyed building on South Sivan Koil Street where the murder took place. Meanwhile, the footage collected from in and around the locality also showed no suspicious movement of people, they added. 

It may be recalled that Gnanapriya was found beaten to death inside their rented house on the first floor by the landlady, Vijayalakshmi. Her husband Balaganesh was also found lying in the bathroom with his hands and legs tied up. In his initial statement, Balaganesh had said that two men attacked him when he went to the common bathroom around 1.30 am on Thursday, before tying his hands and legs. Gnanapriya was also found with her limbs tied while her head was smashed, possibly with an iron rod. 

However, neighbours said that they did not hear any unusual noise on the night when the incident took place, which has made the case more complicated. The couple were residing in the house for the last two years since Balaganesh was working as a priest the nearby Sivan Temple.