Chennai: A 49-year-old TV serial actress was found murdered in her apartment in Saligramam on Sunday after neighbours complained about the foul smell emanating from her flat located on Periyar street. The victim was identified as D Jayaseeli, a native of Salem, who had also figured in some advertisements as well.
Her brother Selvaraj, working in Salem Corporation, told the police that at least 50 sovereigns of gold ornaments placed in her bureau were missing. The imitation jewellery she was wearing was not touched by her killer.
“Her partially decomposed body was found on the bed without any clothes. A condom was found on the floor. It looked like she was smothered with a pillow by the killer to murder her,” police said after making preliminary investigations.
Virugambakkam police said that the killer had locked the grill gate while the wooden door in the front was just latched from outside. The killer had also sprayed some perfume in the house, probably to prevent foul smell spreading in the apartment.
One of the neighbours told reporters that Jayaseeli was last seen on Friday evening at her balcony. She was living with her physically challenged brother Prem Kumar in the apartment. Two weeks ago, she had taken him to their native place in Salem.
Police, after conducting enquiries with the local residents, said she used to go out regularly in auto rickshaws or on her two-wheeler. But nobody had seen someone going in or out from her apartment in the last two days.
Police said her brother came to Chennai on Sunday when she failed to answer the calls on her mobile phone, which was also missing. A police sniffer dog, which was brought to the scene, ran up to nearby Arunachalam road before halting.
