Broken glass bangle helps police crack murder of woman in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A broken glass bangle found near the body of a murdered woman provided a crucial clue that helped police crack the killing of a 56-year-old woman for two sovereigns of gold chain in Coimbatore.

Police said Vijayalakshmi (56) was found dead at her house in Kuniamuthur on September 15, with the gold chain she had been wearing missing.

She was living alone after her husband’s death, while her married daughter, Mavia, lived with her family in a nearby locality.

The murder came to light when Mavia and her husband found Vijayalakshmi lying dead inside the house and noticed that her gold chain was missing.

Based on her complaint, the Kuniamuthur police registered a case and launched an investigation.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Vijayalakshmi had died of suffocation. The investigation took a decisive turn with police recovering pieces of a broken glass bangle lying near the victim’s body.

Investigators examined CCTV footage from the locality and noticed a woman in the neighbourhood wearing a bangle on one hand but missing on the other.

The clue led police to the deceased’s neighbour, also named Vijayalakshmi (44), an idli vendor. The two women knew each other because they lived next door.

During questioning, the 44-year-old woman confessed to having smothered the victim with a pillow when she was alone at home and fled away with the gold chain.

Police said when the accused was questioned soon after the incident, she feigned shock and claimed not to know about her neighbour’s death. She was arrested on Wednesday.

Further inquiries are on.