Jayalalithaa Security Guard Murder: Key Suspect Killed in Accident

Coimbatore: The main suspects in the Jayalalithaa Kodanadu Estate security guard murder case was killed on Saturday in a road accident.

The former driver of the late Chief Minister, Kanakaraj died after his two-wheeler hit a car at Athur in Salem district, police said.

Kanaraj's close friend and another suspect in the case, Sayan alias Shyam, was also seriously injured in a separate road accident involving their two-wheeler and a car in Kerala's Thrissur district on Saturday. Sayan's wife and child died during the accident, police said.

The estate figures in the disproportionate assets case involving jailed AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala and Jayalalithaa, among others.

A security guard posted at the bungalow, frequently visited by Jayalalithaa, at nearby Kodanad estate was found dead on April 24, while some documents were suspected to have been stolen from there.

While 40-year-old Om Bahadur was found dead, a seriously wounded Kishore is undergoing treatment.

Furthermore, on Friday, three Kerala natives had been detained for questioning in a case of recent break- in and murder of a security guard of a bungalow at Kodanadu Estate, often visited late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The trio - Satishan from Pudukkad, Shibu from Kodakara and Santosh from Vellakulangara near Thrissur, were taken into custody based on CCTV footage and their stay at a cottage in Kothagiri a day before the murder on April 24, police said.

They said the CCTV footage shows the trio moving in a car in the area.

Police are confident of nabbing the gang members based on various clues like CCTV footage and details of those who stayed in nearby areas at the time of the murder, they said.

Commenting on the issues, Tamil Nadu Congress Chief, S Thirunavukkarasar said, “My suggestion is that these properties can be taken over by the state government. It should be turned into a memorial house."

“As far as the murder is concerned, all that is happening should be properly investigated," he added.

Police suspected the motive of the gang could have been to steal valuables or documents, as one door of the bungalow was found broken open.

Resistance by the guards might have led to their being attacked causing the death of one of them, they said.

Police had earlier said one or two suitcases at the bungalow were found prised open, but it was not clear what they contained.