Film financier kidnaps ex-staff, murders him and sets body afire

CHENNAI: A 50-year-old man who was working with a Kollywood financier and got estranged from him over allegedly swindling money from the latter was kidnapped and murdered by the financier and his associates near Nolambur on Friday. The gang then threw the body in a garbage dump yard near Mangadu and set it afire, police said.

The deceased was identified as B Babuji, a resident of Ayanambakkam near Ambattur. On Friday, Babuji was dining at a restaurant when a gang headed by his former employer, L Venkat Raman kidnapped him and then took him to Venkat Raman's residence at Nolambur, where he was beaten black and blue.

Police who were alerted about a half burnt body at Kolapakkam rushed to the scene and recovered the body and sent it to government hospital for autopsy. Investigations revealed that Babuji was working as a collection agent with the prime accused, Venkat Raman and was sacked from the job after he allegedly swindled money and stole a gold chain belonging to Venkat Raman's child at the latter's house.

After leaving Venkat Raman, Babuji had joined hands with an advocate and was running a small time finance firm and allegedly cheated him too. Venkat Raman who was miffed with Babuji over him consistently badmouthing him took matters into his own hands and kidnapped Babuji from a restaurant on Thursday.

The gang disposed Babuji's body at a garbage dump in Kolapakkam and set it afire during the early hours of Friday after the murder, police investigations revealed.

A special team of Nolambur Police arrested the financier, Venkat Raman (48) of Nolambur, his associates- M Ganapathy (29) of Maduravoyal, a collection agent, M Dillip, (30) of Maduravoyal, a construction worker and M Gopi (47) of Purasawalkam, a junior film artist. Search is on for another suspect too.