Former MP’s son brutally murders mother in Chennai for property

In a shocking incident, the son of a former Member of Parliament (MP) murdered his mother at Besant Nagar and escaped yesterday.

It is said the motive behind the murder was that the son and accused, Praveen (35), wanted to sell the family’s ancestral property.

The police said the son, educated in the UK, was extremely brutal in killing the mother. He attempted to electrocute her, tied her hands and legs, gagged her and stabbed her 10 times in the chest at their residence on Sixth Avenue, Besant Nagar.

According to the police, Rathinam (63), wife of late MP Kolandavelu, lived in Sixth Avenue, Besant Nagar. Kolandavelu was an MP in 1976 representing the AIADMK during MGR’s tenure.

For a month Rathinam was with her daughter Sudha (43) and her husband Aravind, both doctors in Tirupur.

She returned 14 April and began cleaning up the house when by evening Praveen returned.

For a while the mother and son had been at loggerheads with Praveen wanting to sell the house and property in Besant Nagar and Uthupalayam, Salem.

When Praveen entered the house Rathinam had been on a phone call with Sudha.

A police source said, “He began beating her and Rathinam cried out asking him not to hit her. The screams were heard by Sudha. He gagged his mother, tied her up with electric wires. It is not sure if he electrocuted her. But he stabbed her 10 times.”

Even as the neighbour heard the screams and alerted the police, Sudha had informed their relatives in Thoriapakkam.

When they arrived with the police, they found Rathinam in a pool of blood. Praveen fled the spot.

The police are not sure if Praveen is married and what he does for a living.

Rathinam’s body was sent to the Government Royapettah Hospital. Shasthri Nagar police have registered a case and are searching for Praveen.