VELLORE/TIRUVANNAMALAI:Six months after the stoning of a 40-year-old pawnbroker to death and the killers decamping with valuables from his home at Lakshmipuram in Vellore Taluk, Kannamangalam police late on Wednesday night arrested three juveniles who confessed to murdering the lender when they were picked up and grilled over the theft of laptops on November 13. The laptops were to be distributed free to students of the school they were studying in.
The police launched an inquiry when 23 laptops out of over 200 stored in the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Kannamangalam were stolen. Inspector M Arivazhagan and his team suspected Gopal (name changed), one of the Class XI students of the school. Gopal is the son of a BSF jawan and the police closely monitored his activities. Soon they learnt that Gopal along with five other juveniles and Sathiyaraj (23) and Kalaimani (23) of Vannakkulam, stole the laptops. When the juveniles were questioned, three of them confessed to having stoned pawnbroker Saravanan to death and robbing him of 15 sovereigns of jewellery on May 29.
The juveniles were addicted to liquor and wanted to lead a lavish life. After they ran out of money, they planned to rob Saravanan’s house again. Ascertaining that Saravanan was alone at home, Gopal along with two other juveniles attempted to sneak into his house on the night of May 29. However, Saravanan woke up and accosted them. The trio overpowered him and stoned him to death.
“Gopal and his friends also looted four sovereigns of gold jewellery in April from Saravanan’s house. But Saravanan did not file a police complaint then. The boys pledged the jewellery and spent the money on liquor,” said inspector Arivazhagan.
Vellore Taluk Police had questioned the trio in connection with the murder, but let them go after finding no evidence.
“The juveniles pledged the jewellery for Rs 55,000, after murdering pawnbroker. Gopal bought a second-hand bike for Rs 35,000. They spent the rest of the money on liquor,” the inspector added.
Based on their confession, the Kannamangalam Police handed over the trio to Vellore Taluk Police.