Man gets life for killing Forest dept informer

According to the police, Thiagarajan (36), son of Annamalai of Mulbadi village in Anaicut taluk, was involved in red sanders smuggling. Sampath (49), son of Munusamy of the same area, would help Forest department officials by passing on information about such smuggling activities, they said.

On coming to know of Thiagarajan’s activities, Sampath reportedly accosted him, demanded money and over a period of time, began blackmailing him. Finally, Thiagarajan stopped paying Sampath and the latter, angered over this, threatened to inform Forest officials of his smuggling activities, the police said.

Enraged at this, Thiagarajan coaxed Sampath into accompanying him to a temple near the cremation ground at the foot of the Paravamalai hills near Odugathur where he shot Sampath to death with a country gun.

The Veppankuppam police registered a case and arrested Thiagarajan and the case was tried in the Vellore additional sessions court. Judge Vetriselvi sentenced Thiagarajan to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 7000, following which Thiagarajan was lodged in the Vellore central prison.