CHENNAI: A 24-year-old construction worker, Silambarasan, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a building site in the Maduravoyal area on Sunday.

The police have detained his girlfriend and a fellow worker for questioning. Silambarasan, a native of Villupuram district, worked as a centring labourer and had been staying at the site for two weeks. His parents, also employed there, alerted police early Sunday after finding him unconscious. Officers arrived to discover injuries on his neck.

The body was sent for a post-mortem. The victim's 18-year-old girlfriend, Senthamizh, initially claimed Silambarasan died by suicide, but police noted contradictions in her statements. Both she and a mason's assistant named Manikandan have been detained for intensive questioning.

Investigators added that the victim's parents, who appeared intoxicated at the time, were uncooperative. Forensic teams have collected evidence from the scene. A case has been registered at Maduravoyal police station as investigations continue.