“Evidence links suspects to ‘Pottu’ Suresh murder”

Police say they are closing in on key suspect Attack Pandi

Forensic experts say evidence gathered from the scene of the murder of DMK functionary N. Suresh Babu alias ‘Pottu’ Suresh links the suspects to the crime.

Fingerprints lifted from Suresh's vehicle and the bloodstains found on clothes and on the car matched those of some of the suspects, officers said.

A monkey cap seized from the scene of the crime belonged to one of the gang members.

Eye witness statements had pointed to a gang member on a two wheeler wearing a monkey cap. Police said that Suresh’s driver Mani would be able to identify the killers. “It would help us in the trial,” an officer noted.

Call details of Suresh's mobile phone indicate that he had received landline calls from Keeraithurai, Avaniapuram, Chintamani areas near here at regular intervals since December 2012.

The calls were made from PCO (public call office) numbers operated by differently-abled persons. Some suspects, residing at Keeraithurai, had telephoned Suresh.

There is evidence that Suresh was under close surveillance by the gang. Police say they are closing in on key suspect Attack Pandi.

There are some vital leads and we hope to get him soon. Only after interrogating Pandi, the police can arrive at the real motive behind the killing.

“The confessions of the suspects pointed to Pandi, the alleged mastermind,” officers said. A month ago, the Keeraithurai police had booked cases against the relatives of Pandi, including his brother and brother-in-law, when they set fire to vehicles of each other.

Murder plan discussed

Though at that time the scuffle was described as a family feud, they had actually discussed the modus operandi of committing the crime against Suresh.

While two of them (out of the seven suspects) were relatives of Pandi, others were his friends, said the officers.