Chennai police arrest four for abduction and murder

Police said the gang had abducted a 50-year-old man who had previously worked with one of them, beaten him brutally, burnt his body and then disposed of it in a dumpyard

The CMBT police on Saturday arrested four men, including a financier and a junior film artiste, for allegedly murdering a 50-year-old man at a house in Nolambur after abducting him from a restaurant in Koyambedu, and then burning the body in a dumpyard near Mangadu.

Police sources said the victim has been identified as B. Babuji, who was working as a collection agent with a financier and was temporarily residing in Ayanambakkam.

The accused persons who have been arrested have been identified as L. Venkatraman alias Chotta Venkat, 48 of Nolambur, a money-lender who has had transactions with film personalities, his associates, M. Ganapathy alias Saravanan, 29 of Maduravoyal, a collection agent, M. Dillip, 30, of Maduravoyal, a construction worker and M. Gopi alias Naveen, 47 of Purasawalkam, a junior film artiste.

Police sources said the victim Babuji was working with the main accused Venkatraman. He was recently sacked from his job, as he had alleged stolen a two-and-a-half sovereign gold chain from Venkataraman’s child. A complaint was lodged with the Nolambur police with regard to this, and is pending.

Following this, Babuji became associated with another individual, Gopal, who was an advocate and was involved in petty financing. He also cheated Gopal by swindling money. Babuji also allegedly abused Venkatraman among his friends.

On finding out that Babuji was dining at a popular hotel on 100 feet road in Koyambedu on Thursday night, Venkatraman and his associates abducted Babuji in a car and took him to the former’s house in Nolambur. Babuji was beaten brutally by the gang and died at 3 a.m. on Friday. The gang then took the body in a car to dispose of it and dumped it at a roadside garbage yard in Kolapakkam. They burnt the body by pouring petrol on it and setting it on fire.

On receiving information from the public, police personnel from Mangadu arrived and recovered the partially burnt body. Later, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Koyambedu, S. Ramesh Babu took up the investigation and arrested the four accused persons, including Venkatraman.