A 31-year-old scrap iron merchant hailing from Bilas Estate, Ukkadam, was murdered near the Coimbatore Corporation’s sewage farm late on Thursday night.
A. Farooq (31), a member of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, was found dead with a deep cut injury on his neck. Ukkadam Police investigating the murder said that four to five persons could have been involved in murder and added that Podanur Sriram Nagar resident M. Arshad had surrendered at the Judicial Magistrate VI court here on Friday evening, claiming responsibility for the murder.
The police said that minutes prior to the murder on Thursday night, Farooq had received a call on his mobile phone. He left home on his two-wheeler that was later found near the crime scene. Farooq professed atheist ideology and that had reportedly invited criticism and condemnation from his friends and relatives, the police said.
The police are studying his social media posts and the reactions thereto. They are also looking at his antecedents - as he was reportedly involved in the violence that broke out in the city after the murder of Hindu Munnani leader C. Sasikumar in September 2016.
On Friday morning, Farooq’s relatives refused to collect his body at the CMCH morgue. They said that they would take the body only after the police arrested the killers. City Police Commissioner A. Amalraj had constituted a special team comprising Inspectors Rajesh, Jothi, Sri Ramachandran and Deivendran to nab the accused. Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam leader Kolathur T.S. Mani, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam leader Ku. Ramakrishnan and a few others paid homage to the body at the hospital. Mr. Mani wanted the police to nab the killers at the earliest. The relatives then relented and took his body. Farooq has a wife and two children.
