THOOTHUKUDI: The bodies of a visually impaired man and his brother, who were allegedly beaten to death and buried three days ago in a dispute with their relatives, were recovered by the Thoothukudi police on Friday after locals found a hand projecting out of the soil at a desolate place on the outskirts of Koilpillai Nagar in Thoothukudi town.
The deceased are C Arul Raj (32) and his elder brother C Maripandi (35), natives of Bandukarai, Koilpillai Nagar. Three persons, including Rithan (26) of Koilpillai Nagar, a relative of the deceased, were detained in connection with the crime.
One detained in the murder of two brothers
According to sources, Arul Raj, who had lost his eyesight in an accident a few years ago, had gone missing three days ago.
Subsequently, his relatives lodged a missing complaint with the Thermal Nagar police, and an investigation was under way. His brother, too, was not to be found in the neighbourhood for the past three days, but the relatives did not lodge a complaint as they thought he could have gone somewhere.
On Friday, upon information from the locals, the Thermal Nagar police, in the presence of revenue officials, exhumed the body whose hand was protruding from the soil and found it to be of Arul Raj. While carrying out the exhumation, officials also found another body nearby, which was later identified as Maripandi, sources said.
According to police sources, preliminary probe revealed that the two brothers were beaten to death over a dispute and buried three days ago.
In a press statement, Thoothukudi police said the accused, Rithan, and the deceased are relatives. “They had previous enmity over the alleged involvement of the two deceased in the suicide of Rithan’s brother. Futher probe is on,” the police said.