A fresh wave of criticism has erupted against the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government following the brutal murder of an elderly couple near Sathyamangalam in Erode district. The victims, Rakkiyappan and his wife Bakkiyam, were reportedly attacked and killed by unidentified assailants who fled with 15 sovereigns of gold jewellery.BJP leader and former Tamil Nadu state president K. Annamalai strongly condemned the incident, accusing the government of failing to prevent a series of gruesome murders targeting senior citizens living alone. “It is shocking that such murders keep occurring within a 50-kilometre radius. The police have failed to arrest even a single accused in many of these cases. Is the Tamil Nadu Police dysfunctional?” he questioned.
He cited similar cases: the 2023 massacre of a family of four in Palladam and the November 2024 triple murder in Chemalaikavundanpalayam, Tiruppur district, where a mother, father, and son were killed for valuables. “Despite these patterns, the Chief Minister casually brushes off such crimes in the Assembly, claiming they are isolated incidents. Is this what he means by ‘here and there’?” Annamalai asked, reiterating his earlier demand to transfer all such unsolved cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Meanwhile, PMK Youth Wing President Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss also expressed deep concern, saying that the increasing number of murders of elderly individuals for cash and jewellery in Tamil Nadu is alarming. He recalled the horrific murder of a 78-year-old couple and their son in Tiruppur in November, where the culprits remain unidentified even after 150 days.
“These repeated incidents and the failure to trace the perpetrators have created a climate of fear among the public. It is the duty of the state government to restore public confidence and ensure law and order. Immediate and effective measures must be taken,” said Anbumani in his statement.