Uthangarai police arrested three persons, including the district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Teachers Association, for allegedly beating to death a man from Chennai who had reportedly duped people of their money by promising them jobs.
The victim, Venkatesan (52), residing in Jaswant Nagar, Mogappair, Chennai, allegedly duped his relative Ganesan, the main accused, of Kannalampatty, Uthangarai, by soliciting money in exchange for government jobs.
Earlier this month, Ganesan, along with his associates, kidnapped Venkatesan and his wife while they were in Salem regarding the sale of their property. The couple was transported to Bommampatty, Uthangarai, and held captive separately. Demanding that Venkatesan pay back the money, the accused allegedly beat him to death. Police sources indicate that Venkatesan’s body was buried within the premises of a crusher by Ganesan’s accomplices, Nithyanandan and Vignesh.
Lakshmi, Venkatesan’s wife, was coerced into returning to Salem with the ultimatum that she transfer their property to Ganesan if she wished to secure her husband’s release, as per police reports. Upon her arrival in Salem, Lakshmi, accompanied by her son, filed a complaint with the Pallapatty police station. With police assistance, Lakshmi was directed to summon Ganesan to Salem under the pretext of property transfer. Subsequently, the authorities apprehended the suspects in Salem and transported them back to Uthangarai, where the police uncovered Venkatesan’s body.