Dharapuram lawyer murder case: Prime accused's relative and son held, arrests goes up to 20
On July 28, when Muruganandam visited the school with two fellow lawyers they were allegedly attacked by a group of unidentified assailants.
CHENNAI: In a significant development in the High Court lawyer murder case in Dharapuram, the police have arrested the relative of the school secretary, who is the prime accused in the case and her son.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, the victim, M Muruganandam, a differently-abled lawyer at the Madras High Court, was a resident of Muthu Nagar in Dharapuram in Tirupur district. Muruganandam had reportedly filed a case in the Madras High Court against his paternal uncle Dhandapani, who runs a private school, alleging that a fourth building was constructed on the school premises without proper permission. Following orders from the school education department and the High Court, the unauthorized building was completely demolished.
On July 28, when Muruganandam visited the school with two fellow lawyers they were allegedly attacked by a group of unidentified assailants. Police said that Muruganandam was brutally murdered on the spot while his two friends sustained injuries.
Over the course of the past few months, the police arrested nearly 20 individuals including the school secretary Dhandapani, his son Karthik and other associates. The arrested persons were detained under the Goondas Act based on the Collector's orders.
Recently, the investigation took a new turn when it was revealed that Karthikeyan had traveled to Malaysia a month before the murder. Police said that the trip was allegedly sponsored by Hema, who is Dhandapani's in-law.
Based on this, the Dharapuram police conducted an enquiry with Hema and her son Mukil on Friday. After interrogation, the duo were produced before the Court and remanded to judicial custody.
With the two recent arrests, the total number of people held in connection with the murder has gone up to 20. It may be noted that the accused Hema was already wanted in connection with a case registered in Tiruppur. Police also said that there is a possibility of Dhandapani's wife being arrested in connection with the murder.