A suspected ganja peddler, who was abducted from Rathinapuri by a gang impersonating as police officers, died on Thursday owing to injuries.
The police said that on January 25, R. Manikandan (23) was forcibly taken away from his house at Mettupalayam by a gang of four men who claimed to be from Thudiyalur police station.
Two days later, he was found admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital with severe injuries, including on the head and in the abdomen. He declined to lodge a complaint with the Mettupalayam police, who inquired him. As his condition worsened, he was admitted to a private hospital, where he died on Thursday.
Preliminary investigations revealed that he had allegedly threatened a man named Suresh, one of the four members who took him away.
The Mettupalayam police registered a case under Sections 302 (Punishment for murder), 448 (Punishment for house-trespass) and 364 (Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
Efforts are on to arrest the suspects.
Two from Odisha held
Two men from Balasore district in Odisha, who were allegedly involved in a murder case in their State and were hiding in Tiruppur district, were arrested at Vellakoil on Thursday.
Police said Bijay Kumar (20) and Manas Malik (26) had come to Vellakoil 15 days ago and were working in a spinning mill. Officers from Khantapada police station in Odisha arrived at Vellakoil on Thursday based on a tip-off. Following this, the Vellakoil police traced the two and handed them over to the Khantapada police.
Three booked for abetment to suicide
The Kuniamuthur police on Friday registered a case against three persons on charges of abetting the suicide of a conservancy worker at a Corporation maternity hospital in R.S. Puram. Police said that Solomon, Revathi and Latha, staff members at the hospital, were booked under Section 306 (Abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. P. Rangasamy (38) ended his life on Wednesday after recording a video in which he alleged that the three persons had accused him of misbehaving with women. The accused were booked based on a complaint lodged by Rangasamy’s daughter, according to the police.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).
Outfits demand release of dentist
Various outfits including Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and Social Democratic Party of India have demanded the release of D. Dinesh (32), a dentist who was arrested in Coimbatore on Thursday by Anti-Terrorist Squad police from Kerala for his suspected links with Maoists.
A statement on Friday said that he was detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and alleged that UAPA was being used against those critical of the Central government.
