The Hindu : Front Page : Man responsible for twin murders held

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Monday, Jun 30, 2008
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Man responsible for twin murders held

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

Police Commissioner R. Sekar releasing the pictures of the accused.

CHENNAI: The police on Sunday arrested the man behind two murders in the Vadapalani area that had instilled fear among local residents.

On June 25, two men, who were sleeping on the pavement, were murdered in the same fashion.

The victims, a rag picker and a beggar, were found in a pool of blood with their heads smashed with a rock.

A third person from the same area was admitted to the Government Hospital with serious injuries and is undergoing treatment.

Special team

A special team of 100 policemen, some in plainclothes, were constantly on the rounds for five days in Vadapalani. Information was gathered from 200 persons who were picked up for questioning from the area.

Breakthrough

A breakthrough was made after a flower vendor, Soundaravalli (49), said her brother, who had been sleeping on the platform, was attacked in a similar fashion by a 30-year-old man.

Based on the information provided by her, the police drew a sketch of the assailant. “The portrait matched the person we later arrested,” said Police Commissioner R. Sekar.

Enquiries were made with teashop owners, vendors and autorickshaw drivers.

Autorickshaw driver Naveen identified him as Ekambaram (29), a resident of Kulasekarapuram in Koyambedu. Ekambaram was married at 21. He separated from his wife six months later.

Since 2000, he has been suffering from mental aggression and was being treated at the Institute of Mental Health.

He exhibited short spans of lucidity, but if anyone refused to give him what he asked for, he had the tendency to kill them, the police learnt.

Some time ago, he had injured his brother’s wife in the head.

The police have sent him for medical examination.

Informants rewarded

At a media briefing later, Mr. Sekar rewarded Ms. Soundaravalli and Mr. Naveen and lauded the efforts of the police officials.

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