Palladam murders: Tirunelveli native arrested for harbouring assailants; suffers leg fracture while attempting to escape

The police arrest man for harbouring accused in Palladam murders; A. Selvam of Tirunelveli met with accident while trying to escape, right leg fractured, according to police. His brother A. Venkatesh (27) alias Kutti alias Rajkumar and father P. Ayyappan (52) have already been arrested by the police. 

The police on Sunday arrested a man hailing from Tirunelveli on charges of harbouring three accused who were involved in the murders of four persons of a family at Palladam in Tiruppur district recently.

A. Selvam (30), a resident of Vanniyar Street at Ariyanayagipuram in Tirunelveli, was arrested on Sunday morning. The police claimed that Selvam met with an accident while attempting to escape on a two-wheeler and his right leg was fractured. He was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. His brother A. Venkatesh (27) alias Kutti alias Rajkumar and father P. Ayyappan (52) have already been arrested by the police.

It was on September 3, P. Mohanraj (49) of Kallakinar near Palladam, his mother P. Pushpavathi (67), relatives S. Rathinammal (58) and S. Senthilkumar (47) were hacked to death by three men at the former’s residence.

According to the police, Mohanraj had rented out a commercial space close to his residence to a person to run a bakery. The three assailants, Venkatesh, C. Chellamuthu (24) of Vaiyampatti near Manapparai in Tiruchi and V. Vishal (20) of Kattabomman Colony at Muthulapuram near Uthamapalayam in Theni, came to the bakery around 6 p.m. on September 3. They later entered the agricultural land behind the bakery, which belongs to Mohanraj, and consumed alcohol.

Mohanraj condemned the act and the trio quarrelled with him before leaving the spot. However, they returned to Mohanraj’s house around 7.30 p.m. and picked a quarrel. Though Mohanraj and his family members chased them to the road, the trio returned to the house with machetes. As Venkatesh tried to assault Mohanraj with a machete, his mother Pushpavathy, aunt Rathinammal and relative Senthilkumar tried to save him. All the four persons were fatally injured and died.

While Chellamuthu was arrested on September 4, main accused Venkatesh and Vishal surrendered before the police on September 6. The police shot in the legs of Venkatesh, allegedly after he tried to escape from their custody on September 7. Ayyappan was arrested for allegedly providing the weapons used for the murders. The police also arrested another accused, namely V. Sonai Muthaiah of Uthamapalayam in Theni, for alleged role in the crime.

The police said in a statement that Selvam was arrested for harbouring Venkatesh, Ayyappan and Vishal after the crime.