Kodanad murder case accused Kanagaraj’s brother, kin quizzed

A police team led by Salem range DIG S Maheswari quizzed Ramesh, a relative of the accused, residing at Sakthi Nagar in Attur. Police personnel were deployed at his house in a bid to provide protection.

Also, the DIG held an inquiry with C Dhanabal, the elder brother of Kanagaraj, who was a driver for former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Kanagaraj died in a road mishap near Attur in April 2017 on the Salem-Ulundurpet highway, when he made a right turn towards a service lane in his two-wheeler.

Therefore, Kanagaraj’s brother Dhanabal who is likely to be in the know of things was quizzed by the police. The inquiry gained significance as Dhanabal had allegedly raised suspicion during the initial stages of the case by pointing to the role of an AIADMK leader in the high-profile case. He also appeared before police in The Nilgiris and claimed foul play in the death of his brother.

On the night of April 23, 2017, a heavily armed gang broke into the Kodanad estate bungalow of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa following her demise and looted valuables after murdering the security guard.