COIMBATORE: Another sub-inspector (SI) attached to the special team, which investigated the murder of the 24-year-old with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at Pollachi, was placed under suspension. He had allegedly shared the money with the SI, who was arrested on Saturday for extortion of money and jewels from the four-member family accused of murdering the youth.
Maharaja (30), the associate of the arrested SI Navaneethakrishnan (27) from Mettupalayam police station, has been placed under suspension, police sources said.
Sources said SR Varunkanth of Karavali Mathappur, was staying at Yuthira Charitable Trust (Special Children Care and Training) in Pollachi, when he was beaten to death at the home and later buried in the trust’s farmland at S Nagoor on May 12. Concealing the murder, the trust fabricated a story that the youth had gone missing during an outing to Aliyar on May 15.
SI Maharaja from Mettupalayam police station had stepped into the special investigation team when the investigation was extended to Nilgiris district, where the prime suspects of the case allegedly hid. Navaneethakrishnan, who extorted the money and jewels from the suspects promising to help them with legal proceedings, shared a part of the total amount, `50,000, with Maharaja, sources added.
Mahalingapuram police on Saturday, booked separate cases against Navaneethakrishnan and Maharaja and arrested the former. Based on investigation, the DIG (Coimbatore Range) V Sasi Mohan suspended Maharaja and ordered a detailed investigation, sources said.