Woman's half-burned body on road: Tenant, lover arrested

CHENNAI: Police solved the November 1 murder of P

Dhanalakshmi

, 48, at Thousand Lights by arresting a tenant who stayed at a house let out by the woman and her friend on Friday. Police recovered gold jewellery, reportedly stolen from the house by the assailants.

Police identified those in custody as S

Suganthi

, 35, and her friend A

Yohan

, 26, residents of Mackey's Garden in Thousand Lights. The Thousand Lights police registered a case and arrested the duo and a court remanded them in judicial custody on Friday.

As Suganthi defaulted on two months of her rent, Dhanalakshmi objected 'to allowing boys in the house at odd hours.' During a verbal duel last week, Dhanalakshmi had 'loudly abused Suganthi,' police said. Dhanalakshmi owned eight 'line houses' in Mackey's Garden and Suganthi stayed in one.

Suganthi complained of Dhanalakshmi's ways to Yohan and they devised a plan to eliminate her. They waited for an opportunity and abducted Dhanalakshmi when she came out of her house. They detained her in Suganthi's house on the ground floor on November 1, police said.

Police said Suganthi and Yohan strangled Dhanalakshmi using a rope. They also stole the gold jewellery on her. They tried to burn Dhanalakshmi's body after tying up her hands and legs. As residents complained of 'burning smell' emanating from the house, they changed plane. They doused the fire and waited till midnight. They dumped the half-burned body on the roadside near her house. To prevent police sniffer dogs from picking up scent, they sprinkled at least two kg of chilli powder near the body. Police recovered the body and sent it to the Government Royapettah Hospital for autopsy.

Police initially suspected the handiwork of Dhanalakshmi's husband, Palani, 40, who worked at his brother's plastic shop in the city.