Chennai: In a gory incident, a couple was found charred to death near Chengalpattu, on Wednesday midnight. The deceased couple have been identified as Kannan (42) and Usha (39) of Karpaga Vinayagar Koil street in Hanuman Putheri near Chengalpattu. Kannan was running a travel agency with a car, which he drove.
The couple had left the house in the car on Wednesday night at around 8.45 pm after reportedly informing neighbours that they were going out for dinner. Motorists on GST Road saw a car burning off the road in the Palar River bed near Mamandur.
They informed Padalam police and Chengalpattu fire station. However, by the time the fire service arrived, the car was gutted completely.
According to the police, they searched the car after the fire was doused only to find bodies of a male and a female, who were charred to death in the car.
"The identity of the deceased could not be ascertained initially as the car was fully damaged. The engine chassis number suggested the car belongs to Kannan," the police said.
The police said they had ascertained that the deceased persons were Kannan and Usha. "The couple had sent their two sons to a relative's house four days ago," the police said. During the investigation, they found Kannan owed money to many persons and that debt had overtaken his income.
"As the bodies were found tied together with a string, it is possible they would have li ghted themselves because of the debt problem," the police said.They are not ruling out homicide as somebody may have tied them up and set them on fire.
Forensic personnel had determined that the fire had spread from inside the car. Padalam police have registered a case and are investigating.
