CHENNAI: The body of a 29-year-old man who went missing in January was found dumped in an abandoned well in Kancheepuram on Friday. The police said the well had been filled with debris making it difficult for locals to spot the body. The issue came to light after an accused confessed to the murder with his friends in a drunken state. The police have arrested five people in connection with the murder. The deceased, identified as Kirubhakaran, from Pallavarmedu from Kancheepuram was living with his sister, said the police. Kirubakaran is the nephew of late notorious gangster Sirdhar from Kancheepuram.
On Thursday, the police received information that one of the suspects had confessed to a murder. “We picked up the man, identified as Harish, and after interrogation, he admitted to the crime,” said DSP P P Julius Caesar. When Kirubhakaran went missing, his sister had met with the accused to ask about his whereabouts, but they feigned ignorance, said the police. Police said Harish and his friends had murdered Kirubakaran in a drunken brawl. On January 13, ahead of bhogi festival, Kirubhakaran, Harish, 20, Karthik, 18, Aakash, 18, and Damodharan, 19, were drinking in a dilapidated building at Pudupalayam in Kancheepuram. “Around midnight, Kirubhakaran attacked Harish over an argument. Harish and others ganged up on Kirubakaran and hit him repeatedly with a stone,” said a senior police officer.
The accused rolled the body in clothes and dumped it in the well nearby. As the body started to float in the water, they returned the next day with their friend Ravishankar. “The gang filled the well with dry coconut leaves and nearby debris. They covered the water and made it difficult to spot the body,” said the officer. The fire and rescue service personnel pumped out the water and retrieved the thigh and skull, said the police. The tahsildar and revenue officials were brought in when the body parts were fished out. The bones were taken to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital and later transferred to a lab in Chennai.
Siva Kanchi police, who interrogated Harish, registered a case and arrested the accused. The police also took the accused to the crime spot to recreate the chain of events. All five were remanded in judicial custody. Meanwhile, Kirubakaran’s kin alleged that they lodged a missing person complaint in February first week. “The police officers did not take the complaint seriously and ignored saying that Kirubakaran must have gone loitering and that he will return home,” said Kirubhakaran’s relative. Police refuted the allegation saying that the investigation ran a cold trail.