CHENNAI – A Class 9 student detained by investigators on Wednesday for the murder of a 69-year-old woman showed no remorse as he enacted the crime for the police on Thursday.
An investigating officer said 13-year-old Mahesh (name changed), who killed J Rajammal so he could steal her gold jewellery and buy a video game console, was “calm and cool” as he recounted the murder.
“He was very cool as he narrated how he killed the elderly woman,” Sriperumbudur police inspector M Ramamurthy told TOI. “The boy said he and his aunt B Saritha, 28, strangled Rajammal on Sunday. When they discovered that she was still alive, the boy took a grinding stone and hit her on her head just above the ear. Rajammal collapsed and died.”
Police on Wednesday took Mahesh into custody and detained Saritha and her husband Baskar, 31, for helping him commit the murder and destroy the evidence. After taking the 5 sovereigns of gold jewellery that Rajammal was wearing, Mahesh and Baskar put her body in a gunny bag and dumped it in Sengadu village near Sriperumbudur after setting it ablaze on Sunday night.
“The boy is a tough nut to crack. He appears to have no feelings or guilt about the heinous crime he committed,” an investigating officer said.
“As Rajammal’s body was charred except for a portion of her face, it was not easy to identity her,” he added. “Once we confirmed her identity, we narrowed down on the culprits in no time.”
Investigators said Mahesh had confessed to the murder, saying he wanted money to buy video gaming device. “Saritha and Baskar, who also confessed to the crime, said they needed some money to settle debts and to buy some home appliances,” the officer said.
He said Mahesh, who lives in Ambattur, was staying in Saritha’s house in Eakaadu village in Tiruvallur district for the summer holidays. Mahesh asked Saritha to buy him a video gaming device that cost 8,000, but she said she did not have the money. They hatched a plot to kill Saritha’s elderly neighbour and steal her gold jewellery.
