Have nothing to do with Kodanad Estate murder or dacoity, says Sajeevan

Some in the media had also reported that he had fled to Dubai to evade arrest.

“I have nothing to do with the Kodanad Estate murder or dacoity. I went to Dubai on April 20 and was supposed to come back on May 3. But, I came to know about my name doing the rounds in connection with the case. So, I preponed my return to May 1 (Monday) to know what was happening. I am in Coimbatore since then. So far, the police have not quizzed me,” he said in an interview to a private television channel here on Thursday. 

Sajeevan was not only the preferred furniture maker of Jayalalithaa but was also said to have had an easy access to the former Chief Minister. “My firm has been doing furniture and all carpentry works for the Kodanad Estate bungalow from 2008-09 till Amma died. I have very high reverence for her. She is god to me and her house is a temple,” said this man ,who owns a furniture outlet in the city. 

When quizzed about how familiar he was with Jayalalithaa’s former driver C Kanagaraj, of Edappadi (main accused), he said, he only knew that Kanagaraj was her driver. “Beyond that, I know nothing about him,” he added. 

Meanwhile, The Nilgiris police with the help of Kerala police arrested Manoj Samy of Serthala village in Alappuzha, Kerala, in the late hours of Wednesday. He was inquired at the Kotagiri Police Station and produced before the Judicial Magistrate at Kotagiri. 

Superintendent of Police (SP) of The Nilgiris, Murali Rambha, told reporters at Kotagiri that so far they have arrested eight of the ten accused. Since one of the accused Kanagaraj got killed in an accident and another accused Sayan was badly injured in another accident the police are on the lookout for the last person to be arrested. 

“Our special teams will arrest him in a day or two,” the SP added. The condition of Sayan who underwent surgery at a private hospital in Coimbatore since last Saturday, is said to be improving. Since he was inquired by the SP on Wednesday, police sources said that he may not be quizzed till he was discharged and formally arrested.