Three held for murder of 79-year-old woman

Trichy: Special police teams from Karur district on Wednesday arrested three people, including a woman, in connection with the murder of a 79-year-old woman on Sunday night.The accused have been identified as S Parthiban, 24, of Tirunelveli, Pandi alias M Pandeeswaran, 19, of Madurai, and S Vanitha, 24, of Karur. Police said Vanitha's husband, Kombaiyan, is absconding and efforts are on to trace him.According to sources, the victim, Thayar Ammal of Salaipatti, had been living alone since the death of her husband, Perumal, a few years ago. She was found dead at her residence on Monday under suspicious circumstances with her legs, hands tied and jewellery stolen.Three special teams were constituted to crack the case. Based on leads gathered during the investigation, Parthiban was apprehended in Tirunelveli, Pandeeswaran in Chennai, and Vanitha in Karur on Wednesday. Further investigation is under way to establish the motive behind the crime.