COIMBATORE: The body of a construction worker was found partially buried at a site at Allappalayam village near Annur in Coimbatore district. As the police conducted a probe one of the suspects died by suicide in Nilgiris on Tuesday. A hunt for another suspect in the suspected murder case is on.
The body of Ashok Kumar (48), who belonged to Rathinapuri in Coimbatore City, was exhumed by the police on Thursday. The suspect who killed himself has been identified as Sathish.
A preliminary inquiry revealed that the three construction workers who were under the influence of alcohol fought with each other a few days ago, leading to the murder, police said. The crime came to light after M Nagaraj, a village administrative officer (VAO) of Allappalayam village in Annur Taluk, was informed on the discovery of a partially buried, decomposing body at a work site.
Nagaraj reached the spot on Wednesday evening along with the police, conducted an inquiry with the landowner and site engineer Prakadeesh, and learned that three workers were working and staying there. The trio were Ashok Kumar, who was murdered, Sathish and Murugaiyan — the latter two are from Nagapattinam district.
Police suspect that Sathish and Murugaiyan murdered Ashok Kumar and buried the body near the construction site. While the Annur police tried to trace Sathish they came to know that he died by suicide at Lovedale police station limits in the Nilgiris district on Tuesday before police began the investigation, said police.
Annur police have formed a team to arrest the second suspect, Murugaiyan, and further investigation is on. The plot on which Ashok Kumar’s body was found belonged to Megala, wife of Balakrishnan, of Sri Thirumurugan Nagar at Allappalayam village near Annur in the Coimbatore district. VAO Nagaraj lodged a complaint with Annur police who registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.