MADURAI: The Sholavandan police arrested two men on charges of assaulting a daily wage labourer, who was allegedly confined in a house for over three hours over a missing-money allegation and died a day later.

The police arrested Ganesan of Meenatchipuram and Srithar of Sirumalai under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on October 27. The case is based on a complaint by Aachiponnu (40) of Meenatchipuram near Vadipatti, who alleged that her husband, Amaladass (50), died after he was beaten with a bamboo stick while being held in a house.

According to the complaint, Amaladass often worked in Ganesan's garden in the same village. Ganesan suspected Amaladass and two co-workers, Agni and Reji, of stealing money kept at his house, and had been questioning them for about a month. She said the family denied any involvement, the police said.

She alleged that Ganesan asked Amaladass to come to Vadipatti on October 25. The couple reached the Matha Kovil bus stop around 5.30 pm, where Ganesan was waiting with a car. Amaladass, Agni and Reji were made to get into the car and taken to Srithar's house near an egg shop at Vaithiyanathapuram in Sholavandan. She followed on a two-wheeler with a person who had come with Agni.

Ganesan and Srithar allegedly beat Amaladass, Agni and Reji with a bamboo stick and demanded that they confess to the theft. Ganesan also recorded a video of the men on his mobile phone, she said.

Amaladass, who was in a weak condition, was brought out around 10 pm, with water poured over his body, she said. The accused allegedly threatened them with dire consequences before dropping them near Kariyampatti at about 10.45 pm, she added.

As Amaladass complained of severe body pain, he was taken to a private hospital at Nilakottai. Around 7 am on October 26, he was taken in a private ambulance to the Nilakottai Government Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, she said.

The investigating officer said that they have arrested the duo based on the preliminary investigation. The sections would be altered, if required, after the post-mortem report is received.