DMK man butchered to death: Pre-conceived murder for gain, say cops

CHENNAI: A day after the arrest of a trio, including a woman, for murdering a DMK man, Chakrapani (65) of Manali, in Royapuram on Friday, police on Saturday said they have managed to get only 70 per cent of the body, while the head and a hand and visceral parts were dumped by the accused in different areas.

They have butchered the body to an extent that the remains did not look like a human body, said police.

Royapuram police have already arrested M Wasim (35), his sister Thameem Banu (40) and the latter's lover Dilli Babu (29) of the same locality based on the complaint of Chakrapani's son, who claimed that his father was missing since Tuesday.

Police launched a search operation for the head of Chakrapani at the Adyar river as the accused claimed that they dumped it there hours before police reached Thameem Banu's house at Grace Garden. However, the head could not be traced till Saturday evening. "There is CCTV footage of the accused approaching Adyar river in Dilli Babu's autorickshaw. But, we are not sure if the head would be in shape to identify it was Chakrapani. So, we have given the DNA samples to confirm the same, " said police.

After inquiring the accused, police have come to the conclusion that it is a preconceived murder for gain as the accused had already bought long machetes to butcher Chakrapani. "They have murdered him for the jewels he was wearing and we are inquiring if Chakrapani had cash with him. It looks like the accused had been planning to flush the body after chopping it into small pieces just like shown in movies. They decided to dispose of the head first so that it would be difficult to identify the deceased, " said police.

Chakrapani developed a relationship with Thameem Banu when she lived in Manali after he lent money to her as part of his business. He continued the relationship even after Thameem Banu shifted to Roypuram and visited her on May 6 too before returning on May 10. "Thameem Banu's husband Aslam Hussaini who sells clothes on the pavement rarely visits home and the woman seems to have indulged in the flesh trade with the help of her brother Wasim and lover Dilli Babu. Dilli Babu unofficially married Thameem Banu a few months ago," said police.

Police suspect that Dilli Babu might have given the idea of murdering Chakrapani and disposing of his body in different places to avoid police suspicion. While Chakrapani was murdered on May 10 (Tuesday), they kept the body for a day before chopping it on May 12 (Thursday). They started disposing the parts on Friday, but they could not complete it due to police personnel's movement in the locality.

When police first visited Thameem Banu's house, it was filled with incense smoke and police mistook it for a ritual. Only when they visited the house for the second time on suspicion since the location of Chakrapani's phone was traced to the same spot, they realised that that smoke was to nullify the odour of the butchered body.

Police said that Thameem Banu also has two girlchildren aged 13 and 14 years, both school dropouts, and they have been handed over to their relatives.