3 kill farmer for refusing to keep illegally cut red sanders, held

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Jawadhu Hills police on Friday registered a case and arrested three persons who killed a farmer for refusing to provide them his land to hide cut red sanders logs.

Farmer Ramdas (28) of Kilkanavur village in Jawadhu Hills farmed on a land taken on lease near Anaicut. Six days ago, he left home saying that he was going to his land, but never returned. His body was found near Vedakollai village near Jamaunamarudur on Wednesday.

Police sent the body for post-mortem and started checking the victim’s mobile phone records. They found that a person identified as Rajaram (27) had spoken to him many times. Rajaram was detained for questioning and under interrogation, he confessed that he along with two friends, Gugan (20) and Kirubakaran (26) were enraged that Ramdas refused to give his land to hide illegally felled and cut red sanders logs.

They had abducted Ramdas when he was away from his house and strangled him to death near Poosimalai Kuppam village and threw his body out of the car before escaping. All were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.