In a major development, Vettavalam police arrested ten men from Puducherry for the brutal murder of a known history-sheeter, D. Ayyappan (35), near an irrigation tank in Neelanthangal village, close to Kilpennathur.
The arrested individuals were identified as:
K. Chandru (35)
V. Muthu (29)
B. Kuppusamy (31)
S. Dhanasekar (28)
C. Vivek (25)
A. Pushpanathan (26)
B. Rajesh (22)
T. Natarajan (33)
G. Manikandan (31)
N. Bhuvanesh (24)
Most of them hail from Puducherry.
According to police reports, Ayyappan, who had a long criminal record including murder and robbery, had been on conditional bail and was hiding in Tiruvannamalai due to threats to his life. He was also engaged in moneylending at high interest rates in Puducherry and nearby areas.
Investigations revealed that Ayyappan had borrowed Rs3 lakh from Chandru and Muthu years ago but refused to repay the amount. When the lenders demanded repayment, Ayyappan allegedly issued threats instead.
Frustrated, the accused allegedly hatched a plan to eliminate Ayyappan. He was abducted and murdered on March 9. The suspects were traced to a hideout in Puducherry and arrested. They have been remanded to Central Prison in Vellore.
A case has been registered, and further investigations are ongoing to determine the involvement of others.
