A 50-year-old woman was allegedly murdered and her dismembered body parts were found packed in sacks inside overhead water tanks on the rooftops of houses in Salem, Tamil Nadu, police said.
The victim was identified as Thangamani, a resident of Balaji Colony in Thathanur, Mettupatti. She worked as a domestic worker in Hasthampatti and had been reported missing on August 22.
The shocking discovery was made on Monday after a family living in Arisipalayam returned home from a two-day trip. When they opened a tap for domestic use, they noticed a strong foul smell coming from the water. The temple priest who lived in the house, identified as Ramesh, and his son then checked the two overhead water tanks on the terrace.
They found sacks containing human body parts inside the tanks and immediately alerted the Pallapatti police. Investigators subsequently recovered three sacks from the premises and a neighbouring rooftop. Police said the body had been cut into several pieces before being concealed in the tanks.
According to police, the recovered remains included the woman’s limbs and head. The sacks were seized and sent to the district government hospital for post-mortem examination. Forensic teams are also assisting the investigation.
Police have arrested three people in connection with the case. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding Thangamani’s disappearance and trying to establish how the body was transported and concealed inside the water tanks.
A possible motive being examined is murder for gain, as police said the victim’s jewellery was missing. However, investigators have not yet established the complete motive and are continuing to question the suspects.
Police are also examining CCTV footage and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the murder. The investigation is ongoing.
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