70-year old woman robbed, murdered

CHENNAI: Raising questions about the safety of women living alone in the city, the body of a septuagenarian was found with injuries in the head at her house in Kodambakkam on Monday. The victim’s gold chains had been robbed. In May, two elderly sisters were similarly found murdered in their house at West Mambalam. With police clueless in the case, the killers are still at large.  “The victim, L  Parameswari,  appears to have led the life of a recluse,” investigating officer Ranjit told Express. Her husband Loganathan, a ladder operator at the airport, and two sons died several years ago. Her two daughters were married and they resided at Anna Nagar and Choolaimedu, he said.Asked about her source of income, he said the elderly woman had divided her independent house on Second Street in Bharadeeswarar Colony into seven portions and rented them out to tenants. “She was earning about `40,000 per month,” he said adding that Parameswari also owned an autorickshaw and had a regular driver, Venkatesh.In fact, it was the auto driver who appears to have been the last person to have seen her alive when he dropped her in the three-wheeler at her house around 6.30 pm on Sunday. Today morning, he made his way to her house again and, on pushing the front door open, discovered  Parameswari’s body on the floor with injuries in the head. Three gold chains were missing from her neck, while the gold rings and bangles on her hands were intact.Registering a case of murder under Section 302, IPC, the Vadapalani police picked up Venkatesh and Kartik (24), the victim’s grandson who dropped in often at her house, for questioning.