COIMBATORE: Two youth surrendered before a Coimbatore court on Monday in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old photographer, whose body was found on a railway track a day after he was reported missing.
The victim, Praveen (24) of Madathur near Thadagam, left home on July 2, informing his family that he was heading out for a work assignment. When he failed to return, his parents lodged a missing person complaint with Thadagam police.
The following morning, the Podanur railway police recovered the body of an unidentified man from the railway tracks near Kinathukadavu. The body was sent to the Coimbatore Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem examination. Subsequent investigations confirmed the deceased as Praveen, prompting further probe.
On Monday, Manoj (24) of Karur district and Karthikeyan (25) surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Court-I in Coimbatore, claiming their involvement in the case.
According to the police, Manoj had been in a relationship with a young woman from Saibaba Colony in Coimbatore whom he met through Instagram. The woman was also reportedly acquainted with Praveen, leading to frequent arguments between the two men over the phone.
Police said Manoj allegedly devised a plan to eliminate Praveen by luring him to Oddanchatram on the pretext of a photography assignment. Along with Karthikeyan, he allegedly offered Praveen alcohol before strangling him with a rope inside a car.
To mislead investigators, the accused allegedly dumped the body on the railway tracks near Kinathukadavu to make the death appear to be a railway accident. With the investigation intensifying, the duo allegedly surrendered before the court fearing arrest. Further investigation is under way.