Coimbatore: Salem Range DIG Senthilkumar said on Tuesday the death of Kanagaraj, the prime accused in Kodanadu murder and heist case, was accidental. The official said that this was confirmed by Dhanpal, the brother of the accused.
The senior police officer told reporters that they had scientific and medical certificates regarding this. Kanagaraj died in a motorcycle accident on the Salem-Chennai bypass road. Investigations were made based on the complaint from Dhanpal, and it was confirmed that the death was accidental.
Dhanpal who had raised doubts over his brother’s death initially did not lodge any complaint, said the police official.
”It was our duty to clarify on the issue, as Dhanpal has raised doubts. In his interview to the media the day after Kanagaraj’s death, had stated his brother died in the accident,” Senthilkumar told reporters.
On 28 April 2017, Kanagaraj died in a road mishap. Another accident in Kerala the next day involved Sayan, another accused, in which his wife and child died. In July 2017, Palaniswami had told the Assembly that there was no suspicion on the accident based on the police probe done so far.
A group of men, including prime accused Kanagaraj, had barged into the Kodanad Estate after assaulting the two guards present on 23 April 2017. One of the guards Om Bahadur died in the incident. The group had escaped with ornamental things and watches.
In video recently, K V Sayan and Valayar Manoj, both suspects in the case, linked the Chief Minister Palaniswami to the break-in.