Date:18/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/18/stories/2007061854150300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Two held for murder of Congress functionary

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Two persons were on Sunday arrested in a case involving the alleged murder of a 48-year-old man in Vyasarpadi on Saturday evening. Police are also on the look-out for five others.

In an incident that sent shockwave among residents of the area, the body of the victim, identified as Basha alias ‘Boxer’ Basha, was found abandoned. According to the police, it was in two parts — one wrapped in a gunny bag and another in a bedspread — and found at different places.

The victim, an employee of the Chennai Port Trust, was a resident of TNHB Colony in M.K.B.Nagar and lived with his wife and three sons. He was also a committee member of the north Chennai unit of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress, the police said.

According to a senior police official, a police team went to Satyamurthi Nagar in Vyasarpadi and found the body. Quoting eye-witnesses, an officer in MKB Nagar police station said two persons on a two-wheeler dropped the gunny bag, while some others in an autorickshaw threw the bedspread and fled under the cover of darkness at around 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Investigations

The police said Basha had left home on his two-wheeler on Saturday after telling his family members that he was going to meet a friend in Washermenpet and return home in an hour.

However, sometime later his wife received an anonymous call that Basha has been killed and body abandoned near their house.Additional Commissioner of Police S. R. Jangid said investigations show that illicit relationships and money transactions in a few land deals could be the cause for the killing. Joint Commissioner of Police (North) M Ravi said the police were able to crack the case within a short time after the police team that went to Washermenpet found a driving licence at the scene of crime. Based on the information in the licence, the police started its investigation. Separate teams were formed to look out for the suspects.

Soon, the police zeroed in on the persons responsible for the crime, he said. The names of the arrested persons were given as Murugan (30) and Sugumar (32). After registering a case of murder, they were taken to a city court for remand, the police said. The body was sent for post-mortem to Stanley Medical College Hospital.

Commissioner of Police Letika Saran said about seven persons were involved in the crime and a hunt was on to secure the remaining five.