VIRUDHUNAGAR: Virudhunagar police on Tuesday arrested ex-DMK minister KKSSR Ramachandran for his alleged role in covering up the murder of a post man of Thiruvengadam, committed by a party functionary in 2007. The police also interrogated his son Ramesh in the case, but let him off in the evening.
Shahul Hameed, Pandalkudi DMK union secretary, who was arrested on April 1 for murdering a postman, told the police that KKSSR Ramachandran helped him escape from the case. Following this cases were registered against the ex-minister under various sections of the IPC. Meanwhile, a police team followed Ramachandran, who arrived at Madurai Airport, and arrested him near Surampatti on Tuesday and took him for inquiry.
The police, during a fresh investigation into the case, found that Shahul Hameed had a relationship with Mariyammal (49), wife of the deceased Lakshmanan, a postman at Thiruvengadam in the district. On Sept 30, 2007, Mariyammal and Lakshmanan were returning home from Aruppukottai in Hameed’s van. On the way, Lakshmanan got down to answer nature’s call. Using this opportunity, Hameed hit him with a torchlight on his head and later ran the vehicle over him. Then Hameed approached Ramachandran to escape from the case. The latter used his influence and converted the case into death under mysterious circumstance. Ramachandran was producued before the Sattur JM court and remanded till April 24.