The Salem Rural Police have made a breakthrough in the case relating to the murder of 6 members of a family at Dasanaickenpatti here on August 12 by arresting Gokul, a 17-year-old son of Sivaguru, who had surrendered, and their relative Rajni, a head constable attached to Armed Reserve Police on Wednesday.
Police seized weapons such as sickles used for the gruesome murders from a well near the house where the crime took place. Both the accused had been sent to judicial custody, Salem Range DIG K Venkatraman told The Hindu here on Wednesday.
The investigation had revealed that Sivaguru who had surrendered before a Chennai court and his son Gokul had committed the crime following a property dispute in two phases. Sivaguru with his son's help killed his father and retired police inspector Kuppuraj (76), mother Chandra (70), younger brother Rathnam's wife Santhanakumari and his son Gouthaman (18) after immobilising them with chilli powder.
The duo waited for Rathnam and his daughter who had gone out to return. When they came, they threw chilli powder on them and hacked them to death.
After executing the murders, Sivaguru surrendered before a Chennai court leaving Gokul in the custody of his son-in law and police constable Rajni, who, police claimed, knew of the heinous plan.
The arrests have come at a time when the government had announced that the case had been transferred to CB CID police.
