4 held for Salem realtor’s murder after over a year

According to the police, the accused, Srinivasan (41) and Pushparaj (40)-both hailing from Erode district-were involved in real estate business along with the deceased, Sakthivel (38) of Jalakandapuram in Salem.

On September 18, 2018, Sakthivel left home and did not return thereafter. Based on a complaint by his wife, the Jalakandapuram police registered a case and launched a search. Six days later, the body of Sakthivel was retrieved from Mettupalayam in the district.

Following a search, the police arrested Srinivasan and Pushparaj on Wednesday.

Investigations revealed that the duo planned to extort money from Sakthivel and took him to Mettupalayam on the pretext of seeing a potential property for purchase. The police said that five others joined the duo in Mettupalayam and threatened Sakthivel, demanding huge amount to leave him free. “When he refused to give money, the assailants attacked him severely, resulting in his death. They then dumped his body in Mettupalayam area and escaped from the spot,” the police said.

Acting on information from the duo, the Salem police also arrested Venkadesan (48) and Murugapandi (37) from Tirupur district. A search is on to nab three other accused.

The deceased realtor is survived by his wife and two children.