CHENNAI: Probing an accident on New Avadi Road on Tuesday, the Traffic Investigation Wing police found that it was a planned murder in which a scrap dealer was mowed down by a car in a plan plotted by his wife. The deceased, J Premkumar (38), was a resident of Ayanavaram who ran a waste paper mart in Villivakkam.

Returning home during the early hours of Tuesday, Premkumar was riding his electric bike along New Avadi Road when a speeding car that was trailing him knocked the bike down and ran over him. The driver of the car abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. Onlookers alerted the police who rushed Premkumar to a hospital where he was declared as brought dead.

The Anna Nagar TIW initially registered a case of death caused by rash and negligent driving and seized the car. With the help of the records, police traced the car owner, R Harikrishnan, who turned out to be living in the same neighbourhood as the deceased. This piqued the police’s curiosity. During interrogation, Harikrishnan gave evasive replies, which aroused their suspicions further.

On detailed investigation, the police found out that Harikrishnan had grown close to the Premkumar’s wife in the recent months, for which the deceased had reprimanded them both. “The deceased’s wife and Harikrishnan planned to murder Premkumar. As per this, Harikrishnan gave his car to a friend, who was supposed to make it look like an accident,” a police officer said.

However, the friend, Sarath Kumar, fled the scene abandoning the car after hitting Premkumar’s bike, which helped the police crack the case. Harikrishnan was arrested and produced before a magistrate and sent in judicial custody. Police have launched a search for the deceased’s wife and Sarathkumar, who ran over Premkumar.