A history-sheeter implicated in the killing of Kathiravan — a prime accused in the Sankararaman murder case — surrendered before the police at K K Nagar on Sunday.
Ravi alias ‘Kathu Kuthu’ Ravi, a resident of Neelangarai, appeared at the local police station with senior Madras High Court advocate Paul Kanagaraj and surrendered. Elaborating on the circumstances leading to the surrender, Kanagaraj told Express that the police were on the lookout for Ravi after some persons, who had surrendered in various courts in connection with Kathiravan’s murder, allegedly implicated Ravi in the crime.
The advocate said that police had searched Ravi’s residence and picked up his wife R Banumathi for interrogation on Saturday.
Kathiravan and Ravi’s family were acquainted with each other. According to the police version, Banumathi had visited Kathiravan’s house soon after his murder and pleaded with his family not to expose her husband’s involvement in the Sankararaman case.
She was later produced at a court, which remanded her in judicial custody. “Ravi then approached me claiming that he had no connection with Kathiravan’s murder and expressed his intention of surrendering before police,” Kanagaraj said.
The duo met Joint Commissioner of Police (South) R Thirugnanam, who directed Ravi to surrender at the K K Nagar police station.
Ravi was booked under Section 120b (criminal conspiracy), Kanagaraj said, adding that fear of being eliminated in an ‘encounter’ was the reason behind Ravi’s decision.
Ravi had earlier been booked under the Goondas Act, and he was the prime accused in a murder at Neelankarai in 2011. However, Ravi had claimed that he had acted in self-defence, after he was attacked by victim Uma Shanker. “He was arrested, remanded and later released on bail,” the advocate said.
Saravanan, Rajesh, Ameer, Madhavan, Ramesh, Otteri Rajesh, Madurai Sundar, Nagabhooshanam and two others had surrendered in connection with Kathiravan’s murder. Kathiravan was the first person to be arrested in the Sankararaman murder. Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati are also accused in the case.
