Police intensify probe into elderly couple’s murder in Erode

District police intensify investigation and security measures following brutal murder, with community demanding swift arrests and increased surveillance.

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of a couple at Megaraiyan Thottam, Uchimedu, near Sivagiri on May 1, district police have intensified the investigation and stepped up security along the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal and throughout the district.

The incident sent shockwaves through the community, with residents demanding the arrest of the perpetrators within a month. During a demonstration in Sivagiri on May 5, former BJP State President K. Annamalai warned that the party would launch an indefinite hunger strike in Sivagiri starting May 20 if the police failed to apprehend the accused in two weeks.

A press release from the district police detailed several measures being implemented. Ten special teams have been formed to review CCTV footage and mobile phone records. They are conducting inquiries with local and migrant farm workers, as well as individuals deemed suspicious. Additionally, they are questioning recently released convicts who have been involved in serious crimes and robberies, and are verifying information about those previously connected to murder-for-gain cases.

Additionally, 68 police teams drawn from Erode, Nilgiris, and Namakkal districts are collecting information on elderly individuals living alone in farmhouses under the jurisdiction of police stations in Perundurai, Kanjikovil, Chennimalai, Arachalur, Vellode, Kodumudi, Sivagiri, and Malayampalayam. Residents have been advised to install CCTV cameras in and around their properties. As a precaution, locations are being identified for the installation of additional surveillance cameras.

The release also stated that 35 two-wheeler patrol units and three four-wheeler patrol teams are operating around the clock, while 21 armed police units have been deployed to monitor areas along the LBP canal. Village vigilance committee meetings have been held in 31 villages across the district, and residents were encouraged to install CCTV cameras. They were urged to immediately report suspicious activity or individuals to the nearest police station. The release assured that all such information would be kept confidential.

Meanwhile, Minister for Housing and Prohibition and Excise S. Muthusamy, along with Erode MP K.E. Prakash, met R. Kavishankar, son of the murdered couple, at his residence to offer condolences.