After digging more than 100 feet in the place where a well once stood in Maniakarampalayam, the Saravanampatty Police found what they were looking for – the skeletal remains of R. Fernandes.
As a 20-year-old he went missing on October 2, 2005. But his mother had lodged a complaint with the Police only on March 12, 2010.
While investigating the case, the police realised that accused Soundararaj, who they had in the custody in connection with another case, could have had a role in Fernandes’ disappearance and interrogated him.
He led the police to his accomplice Siva Vishu, who confessed to the crime by informing the police that Soundararaj and he had murdered Fernandes following a dispute in selling ganja in October 2005. They said that they had slit Fernandes’ throat, dumped his body in a well and covered it with meat and poultry waste to control the odour.
They had also told the police that they had slowly dumped earth and in due course the well got completely closed.
Based on their statement, the police begun digging operation in January this year deploying men and machinery. And, on Friday morning, they stumbled upon the skeletal remains of Fernandes.
The Saravanampatty Police said that they first spotted his skull and femur. And, then slowly they obtained the bones and pieced them together. They also managed to obtain his shirt, which was faded.
On receipt of information, City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan and senior police officers visited the spot.
The police said that Fernandes’ mother Rajathi was present at the spot and recognised the shirt her son was wearing on the day he went missing.
The police recovered the skeletal remains and sent the same to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. The bones would be sent for DNA testing. At the time of exhuming the skeletons, Revenue Department officials were also present.
The police and the revenue department had spent close to Rs. 10 lakh for the digging operation, said Mr. Viswanathan.
