Chennai: Five held for murdering IGCAR scientist

Chennai: Almost four years after V Ellappan, a scientific officer of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam went missing from his house on PK Nambi street in Kancheepuram, the police have arrested five persons, including a woman, for murdering him to take over his property worth more than Rs 20 crore.

The murder came to light after police detected a transaction in a property belonging to the family of the deceased. This was done by a woman named Thenmozhi who was staying on rent in the scientist's house.

Scientist V Ellappan, 42, son of retired sub collector, late Venkitachallam, went missing in the year 2013 according to his uncle Elangovan's complaint at Vishnukanchi police station. The police had then closed the case after they could not trace his whereabouts.

After his parents' death Ellappan, who was divorced, was staying alone in the house and a portion of the house was rented to one Thenmozhi (55). Police now say that Thenmozhi, a widow, was close to Venkitachallam till his death and later developed intimacy with his son Ellappan as well.

She allegedly murdered him with the help her father-in-law Sellappa, a former AIADMK ward member and three others. The case was reopened by ASP N. Shreenatha after he noticed the property deal by Thenmozhi. His special team had zeroed in on the five suspects.

On Thursday the police arrested five persons, including Thenmozhi, Sellappa, auto driver Gopi and Sekharan. The suspects had strangled Ellappan to death, reportedly after a drinking session, only to take control of the property. The body was later buried in the Palar River bed.

On Thursday, police tried to exhume the body by digging at least three spots on the riverbed pointed out by the suspects. But they could not trace the mortal remains of the scientific officer who was murdered. It is also possible the body could have been washed away during the 2015 December floods, police sources said.