Chennai, Oct. 24:
Police are set to exhume the body of a 28-year-old truck driver who went missing near Sholavaram two weeks ago, after an investigation allegedly revealed that he was beaten to death during a drunken quarrel and buried in an isolated area.
The victim, Gokul of Kanniyakumari, was employed by a private transport company in Alamathi near Sholavaram. His brother, Rahul, lodged a complaint with Sholavaram police on October 8 after Gokul failed to return home from October 7.
Police registered a missing-person case and began examining CCTV footage from the Alamathi area. Investigators reportedly noticed suspicious movements in the footage and detained two truck drivers, Ayyappan and Sathish, for questioning.
During interrogation, the two men allegedly told police that they had quarrelled with Gokul while drinking. As the argument escalated, they took him to an isolated, bush-covered area and attacked him with a helmet, striking him on the head, police said.
Gokul collapsed and died following the alleged assault. The suspects then reportedly dug a pit and buried his body at the location in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Police subsequently took the two men to the spot, where they allegedly identified the burial site. Officials said the body would be exhumed on Saturday in the presence of a tahsildar.
The recovery and examination of the body are expected to help investigators establish the circumstances of Gokul’s death and gather further evidence in the suspected murder case.