The two prime suspects in the recent murder of a watchman at the Kodanad Estate bungalow of former chief Minister Jayalalithaa, have been involved in serious road accidents, leaving one dead and the other critically injued.
The primary suspect, named Accused 1, C. Kanagaraj, was killed in an accident at Attur, while the second person, K.V. Sayan was seriously injured even as his daughter and wife were killed, when his car rammed into a parked lorry near Palakkad.
Kanagaraj, 36, had served as a driver in Poes Garden, Jayalalithaa’s residence from 2008 to 2013. He is said to be related to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, though his family was no longer on talking terms with the latter.
He was reportedly on his way to Thalaivasal on the Salem-Ulundurpet highway on a two wheeler at about 8-45 p.m. on Friday. When he took a right turn to move to the service lane, a a car heading towards Perambalur allegedly hit his vehicle, and Kanagaraj was thrown off.
He was taken to the Government Hospital in Attur where doctors declared him brought dead. Police sources claimed he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
A special team from the Nilgiris District, led by the Inspector of Gobichettipalayam, Balamurali, who is on special duty at Kodanad Estate, visited the hospital and held an inquiry.
The car with Karnataka registration was driven by one Rafiq of Thammampatti and he was allegedly driving IT professionals from Bengaluru to their home town.
Based on a complaint from the victim’s brother Dhanapal, Attur police registered a case under Sections 279 (rash driving on a public way) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC against Rafiq, who is being questioned. Dhanapal has also demanded a detailed enquiry.
Following a postmortem, the body handed over to relatives. Kanagaraj is survived by his wife and infant daughter.
Palakkad accident
Mystery shrouds the circumstances in which the second accused in the Kodanad murder case was involved in an accident. Sayan alias Syam, 35, a native of Irinjalakuda near Thrissur, had been living in Coimbatore for several years, and working as the manager of a bakery.
The ‘accident’ reportedly occurred at around 5.30 a.m. and Sayan was taken to a nearby private hospital in Palakkad. He was then taken to GKNM Hospital, Coimbatore, around 8.15 a.m. on Saturday. Fifth judicial magistrate A. Selvakumar recorded Sayan's statement at the hospital. According to a senior police officer, in his statement Sayan said his car had rammed into a lorry at Kannadi on the Palakkad-Thrissur Road. He added that according to doctors, Sayan's condition was critical as he had sustained severe internal injuries.
Sayan’s wife Vinupriya (30) and daughter Neethu (5) were found dead inside the car. Doctors who examined the bodies at the Government district hospital in Palakkad, said they found deep slashes on the back of the neck in both mother and daughter, raising suspicions that they might have been murdered ahead of the accident.
Police claimed their suspicion is that Sayan attempted suicide after murdering his wife and daughter. The registration number of the car was also found to be bogus. They said the car the family was travelling in crashed into a parked lorry, giving credence to the suicide theory. The family was on its way to Thrissur.
Police said the burglars had reached Kodanad Estate in the same car that Sayan was driving.
(with inputs from Palakkad)
