Car mows down lorry driver in Thanjai, inmates dump body in field, two held

According to sources, on December 9, Dharmaraj (51), a lorry driver from Thanjavur, was heading to Vallam along with a few workers to load firewood. While the workers were loading wood, Dharmaraj was waiting near the lorry. Suddenly, a speeding car hit Dharmaraj in which he sustained severe injuries. However, the car proceeded without stopping to check on the victim.

On seeing this, the workers chased the car on a two-wheeler and nabbed the two occupants. They then rushed an injured Dharmaraj to the Thanjavur medical college in their car. One of the loadmen, identified as Raja (23), also accompanied Dharmaraj in the vehicle.

By the time the car reached Thirukanurpatti Four road, Dharmaraj, however, succumbed to his injuries. The occupants in the car then allegedly threatened Raja and dropped him there and escaped. Soon, Raja passed on the information to the Vallam police who then were on a hunt.

Meanwhile, the police found the car that hit Dharmaraj at a mechanic shed in Melavasthachavadi in Thanjavur. The police subsequently secured the car owner, Rajesh (35), and Vaitheeswaran (22) and held an interrogation.

It was then learnt that the duo had threatened Raja and dumped the body in a field on Tiruvaiyaru bypass road and escaped. Based on the duo’s confession, the police went to the spot and retrieved Dharmaraj’s body and sent it to the Thanjavur medical college on Tuesday night. Rajesh and Vaitheeswaran were subsequently arrested.

In another incident, a lorry ploughed into a bakery at Sulthanpet near Pollachi on Wednesday. According to the police, the lorry loaded with bengal gram from Karnataka was heading to Pollachi when the incident happened.“The driver lost control and the vehicle ploughed into a bakery located along the roadside. Fortunately, any loss of life was averted as the incident occurred during the early morning hours when the bakery was closed,” the police said. The Sulthanpet police have registered a case.

A couple was killed in an accident that occurred near Upparpatti Pirivu on the Theni-Cumbum road in Theni district on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as K Velmurugan (35) and his wife Veeralakshmi (30). According to sources, Velmurugan along with his wife and one-year-old male baby were travelling on a motorbike to Chinnamanur to attend a wedding. Velmurugan slammed the brakes after suddenly spotting a tipper lorry coming from the opposite side. This caused the bike to skid and go under the wheels of the lorry. While Velmurugan succumbed to injuries on the spot, his wife Veeralakshmi suffered head injuries and was admitted to Theni Government Medical College Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The baby Kaleeswarapandian, however, escaped with minor injury. The Veerapandi police filed a case and the lorry driver was arrested.