The police on Wednesday arrested a 47-year-old man on the charge of hacking his neighbour woman to death at Karunya Nagar in Coimbatore district.

Noble Watson Thangadurai, a resident of Sappanimadai road at Karunya Nagar, was arrested for murdering Jessy Vincent (72), who had been residing alone.

The police said that Thangadurai and the woman, both originally hailing from Kanniyakumari district, resided in separate houses in a compound owned by one Subramaniyam. There were frequent quarrels between the deceased and the accused over dumping of garbage in the common area, they said.

According to the police, a verbal altercation arose between the neighbours over waste dumping around 8 a.m. on May 6, 2026 (Wednesday). The septuagenarian allegedly made disparaging remarks on the mother of the accused, which provoked him. He took a machete and struck her on the head. She collapsed and died, said the police.

A team of the police rushed to the spot after being alerted about the murder and secured Thangadurai. A case was registered against him and he was arrested.