The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Prime accused in Aruna case held in Ahmedabad, another `commits suicide'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Prime accused in Aruna case held in Ahmedabad, another `commits suicide'

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, JAN. 26 . Two persons wanted in the Aladi Aruna murder case were traced in a house here in a pre-dawn raid today.

While one of them, Benny alias Benedict alias Arun, "committed suicide by consuming potassium cyanide," the other, Veldurai (40), has been arrested. He also consumed poison and his condition is stated to be critical.

Acting on a tip-off that the "killers" of the former Minister were hiding in Ahmedabad, a Tamil Nadu police team with the help of the city crime branch raided the house of one Maya Thevar at Baikuntha Park Society, Ghodasar, after 1 a.m.

On seeing the Tamil Nadu police, Benny consumed potassium cyanide and died on the spot. Veldurai also consumed poison and was rushed to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run L.G. Hospital. The doctors flushed out poison, the police said.

The police recovered two revolvers, five live cartridges, three mobile phones and SIM cards from the house.

Our Tirunelveli Staff reporter writes:

In Tirunelveli, K. Gopalakrishnan, Deputy Inspector-General, Tirunelveli Range, told reporters that Veldurai, kingpin and prime accused, was being brought by train to Alangulam, where the former Tamil Nadu Minister was murdered on December 31 last.

He said the special team was flown to Ahmedabad after an inspector in Kanyakumari district received a threatening phone call from Benny. The call gave a tip-off of the duo hiding in Ahmedabad.

Moreover, the police had information provided by the relatives of Veldurai, who hails from Marudappapuram near Alangulam, that he was hiding in his cousin, Raju's house in Ahmedabad. Raju, who left Alangulam several years ago, is working as a bus driver there.

As Raju's wife, Maya Thevar, said to be a quack, was running a clinic in the house, a woman constable, posing as a pregnant woman, was sent there around 1 a.m. today. When she opened the gate to attend on the ``patient'', the police barged into the hideout, and nabbed Veldurai, who offered no resistance.

``When our special team held Veldurai, they saw Benny running towards the balcony. When he was caught, he vomited profusely. He was taken to the hospital where he died around 1.30 a.m.

The police seized Rs. 10,000 in cash from Veldurai and a country-made revolver with two rounds of ammunition from Benny. His body would be buried in Ahmedabad as his mother and brother refused to accept it, saying they did not consider Benny a member of their family because of his unlawful activities. Mr. Gopalakrishnan said Veldurai and Benny, after murdering Aladi Aruna, were involved in a robbery of over Rs. 20 lakhs in Chennai. ``This booty came in handy for the culprits,'' the DIG said. Another accused in the murder case Auto Bhaskar died in the police custody a week ago.

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