The police have achieved a breakthrough in the case related to the murder of a French national Andre Viozat (66) who was murdered on May 27, 2009 by a gang in his farm house at Auroville near here.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday E. Ma. Masanamuthu, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Villupuram Range, said that Viozat, had settled down at Auroville in 1971. He was running his business successfully that enabled him to create assets worth Rs.600 crore. He married Chandrika Krishnan from Kerala in 1980. The couple have a daughter, Savithiri alias Gayathri. They got estranged about four years ago.
In the meanwhile, Viozat had set aside a portion of his estate, measuring 2.15 acre, in the name of Savithiri but retained absolute ownership rights over the property with him.
The DIG further said that Ms. Krishnan who was in financial straits sold the property to Ramkumar, a government doctor. However, Dr. Ramkumar could not access the property. .
With the consent of Ms. Krishnan he tried to enter the property. On a complaint by Viozat the Auroville police booked a case, which was subsequently transferred to the CB-CID.
A double murder, in which Madhivalavan (26) and Karunakaran (26) were killed in a group rivalry at Periya Mudaliar Chavadi on December 31, 2010, helped in cracking the French man's murder case.
The police caught P. Suresh (28) of Aattupatti, Puducherry, who confessed his involvement in the murder of Viozat too. He also revealed the names of seven others, including that of Dr. Ramkumar and Ms. Krishnan.
Five persons have been arrested so far. The dragnet had been cast for others too, the DIG added.
