Chennai: Son kills 77-year-old mom for denying him share in land

Chennai: In a shocking incident, a 77-year-old woman was murdered by her son on an MTC bus on Tuesday after she had denied him a share in their property.

The woman, identified as Muthamma (77) a resident of Kayarambedu near Guduvanchery,  had written the 2-acre land in her name to her daughter Vijayalakshmi’s who looks after her. The woman has four other children, two sons and two daughters.

Following this, Muthamma’s son Devaraj demanded a share and filed a case at the Chengalpattu district civil court. The case, which came to hearing on Tuesday saw Muthamma bear witness to the fact that her son did not use to  take care of her. Neither would he take care of  her husband, Palayam, to whom the land belonged before her, and so she did not want to give  him any share. The court recorded Muthamma’s statement and adjourned until Wednesday when Vijayalakshmi, 55, was to appear.

 Muthamma and Vijayalakshmi then travelled from Chengalpattu to Tambaram from where they boarded bus number 166 from Tambaram to go to her daughter's house in Kovur. At around 7 pm, Devaraj who was waiting at Tambaram bus station, boarded the bus  with a machete and in a fit of rage began slashing the throat of his mother and sister. The other passengers on the bus panicked and fled immediately, witnesses said.

 Devraj who attempted to flee the scene was surrounded by the public at the Tambaram bus station, who handed him over to the Tambaram police.  He was arrested him and charged with murder.

 Both Muthamma and Vijayalakshmi were rushed to Chromepet Government Hospital but Muthamma was pronounced dead. Vijayalakshmi has been referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai for further treatment but she continues to be in a critical condition, police sources said.