Mystery shrouds death of suspected smuggler in city lodge

After preliminary inquiry, police said the man was a courier working for a smuggling network, who is believed to have killed himself after coming under pressure from the gang for his failure to bring gold as directed by it.

According to police, the deceased was identified as Sivakumar, a native of Panruti in Cuddalore. One of his hands was amputated in an industrial accident in Singapore, police added. On his way to his native, he went from Singapore to Malaysia, from where he was to board a flight to Chennai. There, a person identified as Sadiq gave him 150 gm of gold to be delivered in Chennai.

By the time Sivakumar landed in Chennai in the early hours of Sunday, there were three persons waiting for him at Chennai airport to receive the gold from him. The trio – Faizal, Azmal and Dhanraj – who were waiting to collect the gold were shocked to learn that Sivakumar had landed in Chennai without the it. When they asked him, Sivakumar reportedly told them that he had to leave the gold at the Kuala Lumpur because of Customs checks there. However, refusing to believe his version, they brought Sivakumar to a lodge in Triplicane to decide the next course of action.

On Monday morning Sivakumar was found hanging in the lodge room, while others were away. Police have detained two of the three men for questioning, as investigators suspect their possible role in the man’s death.

“We have detained Faizal and Azmal now. We believe their action could have led to Sivakumar’s suicide. They will be booked for abetting suicide,” police said.