Powerloom owner, wife murdered in Kovai

The owner of a powerloom unit and his wife were found murdered in their house at Sadayan Thottam in Vaikalpalayam village near Karumathampatty on Sunday morning. Police suspect that they could have been murdered on Friday night by a labourer over wage dispute. The incident came to light only on Sunday after a neighbour went to the victims’ house.

The deceased were identified as S Kumarasamy (65) and his wife K Sundarambal (58). They have two daughters Rajeshwari and Bhuvaneshwari, who were married and settled elsewhere. They owned a powerloom unit.

According to the police, about a month ago, the couple and the nearly 15 labourers of their unit (including permanent labourers), had a dispute over payment of wages. Subsequently, a new set of workers were appointed on a weekly wage basis. It is learnt that of the nearly a dozen labourers working in the unit, one of them, whose identity is yet to be established, stayed on the unit premises.

On Saturday morning, the couple’s neighbour S Vignesh found Kumarasamy on his cot and assumed that he was tired and fast asleep. However, he grew suspicious on Sunday morning as Kumarasamy was still in the same position. When he went in to check, he was shocked to see him dead in a pool of blood. Sundarambal was also found dead in the house in a similar way.

Police said that the couple was beaten to death by a metal rod. The vicitms had suffered cut injuries on their foreheads. Their bodies were sent for post mortem. Forensic experts had retrieved a few finger prints. Neighbours and a few staff of the unit told police that the labourers and the couple had a dispute over payment of wages on Friday. Police have formed a special team to nab the culprit.