A 42-year-old woman entrepreneur and Instagram influencer was allegedly hacked to death by her husband, who was later found hanging inside their residence in Chennai, police said.
The deceased were identified as Nagalakshmi and her 52-year-old husband Subramanian. The shocking incident came to light after their younger son returned home and found both parents dead.
According to police, the couple had been living separately for some time following marital differences. Subramanian had reportedly moved to Madurai to stay with relatives.
He had recently returned to Chennai and is said to have reconciled with Nagalakshmi after apologising for his earlier behaviour.
On April 27, their younger son allegedly received a disturbing message from his father. When he rushed home, he found his mother murdered, while his father was discovered hanging in another room.
Police said Nagalakshmi had built an independent life after separation by launching Sree Sai Silks, a saree business in Nanganallur.
She reportedly gained popularity through Instagram promotions and had more than three lakh followers. Her business had grown enough to expand into a larger showroom in Chennai.
The couple's elder son is studying medicine in Russia, while the younger son is pursuing dentistry in Chennai.
Police recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examination. Preliminary findings suggest a domestic argument may have preceded the murder.
Further investigation is under way.