Chennai, 15 March (H.S.):A 45-year-old woman was brutally hacked to death while attempting to protect her daughter from an alleged abduction attempt by a gang in Pudukkottai district in the early hours of Sunday. The shocking incident occurred at Neduvayal village near Alangudi and has triggered panic among residents of the locality.

The victim, identified as Kaliammal, was the wife of Suresh, a farmer and daily wage labourer. The couple have three children — daughters Swetha (20) and Subadarshini (18), and a son Balamurugan (12).

According to police sources, Suresh had earlier moved to Chengalpattu for work, where he developed a relationship with a woman named Vijayalakshmi and later married her as his second wife. Both families were reportedly residing in separate houses in the same village, which had been a source of tension within the family for some time.

Investigators said the dispute escalated about two years ago when Vijayalakshmi’s brother Viven (34), a resident of Chengalpattu, expressed his wish to marry Subadarshini. However, Kaliammal and her daughter strongly opposed the proposal. Despite their refusal, Viven allegedly continued to press for the marriage, leading to repeated arguments between the families.

Police said the ongoing conflict eventually caused Vijayalakshmi to separate from Suresh and live apart.

According to preliminary investigations, the violence unfolded around 3 a.m. on Sunday when Viven allegedly arrived at Kaliammal’s house along with two unidentified accomplices. The trio is suspected to have attempted to abduct Subadarshini while she was asleep. Police said the men allegedly gagged the girl with a cloth in an effort to prevent her from raising an alarm.

However, the girl reportedly woke up during the attempt and cried for help. Hearing her daughter’s distress, Kaliammal rushed to the room and tried to stop the attackers.

Enraged by her resistance, the suspects allegedly attacked Kaliammal with a sickle, inflicting multiple grievous injuries to her head and body. She died on the spot due to the severity of the injuries, police said.

Following the attack, the assailants fled the scene.

After neighbours alerted authorities, personnel from Vadakadu police station rushed to the village, secured the area, and recovered the body. It was later sent to Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Police have launched a manhunt to trace Viven and the two unidentified accomplices. Senior officers said special teams have been formed to track down the suspects.

The gruesome killing has left villagers shocked and fearful, with residents demanding swift action against those responsible.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman