Charge sheet filed in Kodanad heist case

Ten persons were today charge-sheeted in the case relating to the murder of a security guard at Kodanad Estate, frequented by J Jayalalithaa, five months ago, police said.

The 300-page charge sheet was filed before Judicial Magistrate C Sridhar, supported with 69 documents and 97 witnesses, investigating officer Balasundaram told reporters here.

The estate guard, Om Bahadur, was murdered and another guard Krishna Bahadur Thapa assaulted on April 23, when a group of men barged into the Kodanad estate, which was frequented by AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa for her retreats.

The Kodanad Estate figures in a disproportionate assets case involving jailed AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala and Jayalalithaa.

Later, it emerged during the probe that Jayalalithaa's former driver C Kanagaraj and K V Sayan had allegedly plotted the crime.

Police arrested 10 persons, majority of them from Kerala, and lodged them in various jails in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The key accused Kanagaraj, a former driver of late CM Jayalalithaa, was killed in a road accident near Salem two days after the incident.