Chennai: An unidentified man who broke into the farmhouse of a retired central government official near Sri Perumbudur, 50 kms from the city died on Tuesday night after he was beaten up the caretakers of the house and the local villagers. A woman caretaker suffered injuries while resisting attack from the burglary suspect.
Police sources said that the farmhouse at Podavur village belongs to a retired official, Ushapriyan (68) who resides in Bengaluru. A couple from Podavur village- Saravanan (46) and Yamuna (39) was appointed to take care of the house.
On Tuesday evening, around 6 pm, Yamuna went to her house after cleaning up the farmhouse and switching on the lights.
Two hours later, when she happened to pass by the farmhouse, she noticed the lights switched off. Alarmed, she alerted her husband to check on the property and found the front door broke open.
As they went inside, three persons rushed out of the house, in the process attacking Yamuna. Two of them managed to scale the compound wall and escape while one of the burglars fell down. A mob from the village rushed on information and the caught suspect was treated to mob justice, police sources said.
Sunguvar Chatram police rushed to the scene and secured the injured suspect and the woman and moved them to a hospital where the man was declared brought dead. Police moved his body to the Sriperumbudur government hospital for autopsy. “The identity of the man is yet to be ascertained. We suppose him to be in his early 40’s,” said a police officer. Sunguvar Chatram Police has initiated investigations to trace the deceased man’s accomplices. Tuesday’s incident is reminiscent of a similar incident a year and half ago in Walajahbad, 15 kms from Sunguvar Chatram, wherein two burglars were lynched by a mob.
