Woman killed, husband and son critically injured; two daughters kidnapped, rescued in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Oct 23 – A woman was brutally murdered, her husband and 12-year-old son grievously injured, and her two minor daughters abducted by an armed gang at Mudhalur village near Sathankulam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Friday morning. The two girls, aged 15 and 13, were rescued from a locked room at the accused’s house within a few hours, and police arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.

The attack reportedly stemmed from a dispute over an alleged relationship between a parotta master, identified as Gnanaprakash, and the couple’s 15-year-old daughter, which her parents had opposed.

According to police, the family was asleep when the gang allegedly broke into their house in the early hours and attacked them with deadly weapons, including knives and sickles. Mary Regila died on the spot, while her husband, Muthukrishnan, and their son, Pleset Raja (12), sustained grievous injuries.

On receiving information, police rushed to the scene and shifted Mary Regila’s body to a government hospital for post-mortem examination. The injured father and son were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Police launched an intensive search after the couple’s two daughters were reported missing following the attack. Acting on various leads, officers traced the girls to a locked, dark room in the accused’s house in the locality. Both were rescued safely and brought to the police station.

Southern Zone Inspector-General of Police Vijendra Bidari confirmed that Gnanaprakash had allegedly murdered Mary Regila and abducted her daughters. Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Sivanathan said the murder was reportedly triggered by the woman’s opposition to the accused’s relationship with her 15-year-old daughter. She had subsequently stopped speaking to him, he said.

Meanwhile, PMK president and Rajya Sabha member Dr Anbumani Ramadoss strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a failure of the police to maintain law and order.

He said the fact that an armed gang could allegedly break into a house at night and carry out such a brutal attack raised serious questions about police vigilance. If there was a known dispute or previous enmity between the parties, the local police should have monitored the situation and taken preventive measures to avert violence, he said.

In a statement, Anbumani said ensuring public safety was the fundamental responsibility of the government and the police. People could not live peacefully if families were unable to feel safe even while sleeping at night, he added.

He urged the police to arrest all those responsible for the murder and abduction and bring them to justice. He also called on the State government to take all necessary measures to strengthen public safety and security across Tamil Nadu.

The incident reportedly arose from previous enmity, and further investigation is underway.