Property disputes claim lives of two women in Chennai

A 52-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her brother over a property dispute in Kolathur on Monday night.

The victim Mallika Jayaram was returning home in Veppumpattu after visiting her son in Kolathur when her brother, 44-year-old Nandakumar attacked and killed her following a quarrel over property.

According to the police, Mallika and Nandakumar had been fighting over her home and a legal suit is pending in the court. Mallika owns a two-storey apartment with four flats in Kolathur. Among them, her son lives in one of the flats while her brother lives in another and the remaining two were rented out.

Around 9.15 pm on Monday, Mallika was returning from her son’s flat and was walking in Lakhmipuram when Nandakumar confronted her. They quarrelled about the property and an enraged Nandakumar picked up an iron rod from the road side and hit Mallika on the head. She collapsed and died on the spot. The Puzhal police was informed about the incident and they arrested Nandakumar.

In another case, police suspect siblings of a woman, who was found dead in Saidapet on Monday morning, to have killed her.

Jaya was a widow who used to work in the Chennai Corporation and her children were living with her mother. The police suspect that her sister Devi had a role to play in her death.

“We think that Jaya’s sister Devi and Devi’s husband Yethiraj got her killed,” said an officer on Tuesday. The policemen studied CCTV footage from the neighbourhood and noticed two unidentified people entering Jaya’s house on Sunday night.

Jaya was in the midst of a property dispute with her sister and the police suspect it could be the reason for hermurder.