CHENNAI: The Poonamallee Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a marine engineer in 2012. However, the prime suspect was acquitted in the case as there was not enough evidence to convict him.
The victim, a 29-year-old marine engineer named Dillibabu alias Venkatesh, was kidnapped on February 6, 2012, from Maduravoyal. Later, he was murdered, and his body burned in Tiruvannamalai.
According to police, the crime stemmed from a financial dispute between the victim and the prime suspect, Gokul alias Gokulakrishnan (38), a neighbour. Dillibabu had lent money to Gokulakrishnan, and when demands for repayment escalated, he allegedly conspired to kill Dillibabu.
He enlisted four accomplices – Karmegam, Boobalan, Rajkumar, and Sundaresan – who abducted Dillibabu as he was returning home in his car. The group took him to a remote location in Tiruvannamalai, strangled him, burned the body, and fled with his gold jewellery.
A case was registered at the Maduravoyal police station, and all five accused were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. The trial was held before the Third Additional District and Sessions Court in Poonamallee.
On Thursday, the court found Karmegam, Boobalan, Rajkumar, and Sundaresan guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 4,000 each. An additional one-year term was stipulated if the fine was not paid. Gokulakrishnan was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.