Constable from Chennai prime suspect in Srivilliputhur murder

Kannan Kumar, the 26-year-old policeman, went on a 10-day leave to his home town Vathirayiruppu in December, but did not report back to work. Meanwhile, S Ayyanar, a 22-year-old, was hacked to death in W Pudupatti near Srivilliputtur on Tuesday night. Watrap police arrested three people –Vijayakumar, Tenzing alias Tamilarasan and another Tamilarasan – on the charges of murder, who confessed Kannan’s involvement in the murder. 

Interrogations revealed that the deceased, Ayyanar, a teacher training student, created a fake profile on Facebook in a girl’s name and befriended Kannan Kumar, who is already married. Kannan believed the person to be a girl and chatted with her online often. Soon the constable fell for the fake girl. They exchanged phone numbers, but Kannan could not make out that Ayyanar was talking to him in female voice.

“The constable transferred huge sums of money to him whenever he asked,” said Virudhunagar SP Rajarajan. When Kannan was in his native town, he wanted to meet the Facebook girlfriend in person, but was refused. Growing suspicious, he checked her friends’ list and realised that he was cheated. Depressed Kannan Kumar even attempted suicide by consuming poison at his father’s house in Virudhunagar, but was rescued and hospitalised. 

“It was when his friends came to visit him in hospital that Kannan hatched a plan to take revenge on Ayyanar,” said the SP. His friends along with Kannan kidnapped Ayyanar and hacked him to death. 

Meanwhile, the Ennore police had no knowledge about the whereabouts of Kannan until they were informed about the murder on Wednesday. Kannan joined the duty as constable in Law and Order wing at Ennore police station in April 2016.