The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Only one person involved in double murder”

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Tuesday, Sep 08, 2009
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Only one person involved in double murder”

Special Correspondent

CB-CID probe does not reveal role of any politician

CHENNAI: The Crime Branch CID police have confirmed that only one person was involved in the daring robbery in Panaiyur on August 24 in which an aged couple was shot dead and three others were injured. Investigation not only ruled out the involvement of any politician in the case but also found no clue to prove motives pertaining to property dispute.

Giving details of the probe in a press release, the agency said the Hyundai ‘i10’ car used by the accused was a stolen one. The car belonging to Kanagathara Flat Promoters of Kodambakkam was reported to be stolen on June 24, 2008 and a case was registered by the Neelankarai police in that regard.

The car key went missing three days before the vehicle was actually stolen. Investigators recovered the stolen key from the house of the accused Shanmuga Sundaram alias Rajan during a search on August 29 making it clear that he had stolen the car, the release said.

The CB-CID investigation confirmed that only one accused had entered the house with his pistol pointing at the inmates around 3.30 p.m. on 24 August 2009. He robbed Rs.2.5 lakh in cash and 13 sovereigns of gold jewellery from the family. Enraged over their persistent denial of more cash in the house, he opened fire killing the aged couple Ramani and Elango on the spot and injuring three others - Vasanthi and her two children Priyanka and Praveen (who was attacked with a knife).

According to the injured persons, only one accused was involved in the crime. The key of the car that was found abandoned near the house was recovered from him by the public when they secured him and handed over to the police. The key was found to be a duplicate one with an original remote.

All witnesses who saw the accused were examined and they denied having noticed any other individual accompanying or waiting to assist him. Though the family owned lands in Chennai and other places, there was no dispute over transaction relating to any property.

Investigation further revealed that the accused Rajan had visited certain places in West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in May/June 2009 where it was suspected that he might have purchased the weapons. There were grounds to suspect that Rajan might have been involved in a few more criminal cases. Besides interrogating his associates and friends, the agency was scrutinising his financial transactions. Investigation in the case had reached a final stage, the release said.

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