Kodanad break-in: Cops to widen their investigation

Ooty: Murali Ramba, SP of Nilgiris, said that police would widen their investigation in the sensational Kodanad break-in and murder case, and determine whether a Gudalur-based timber merchant helped Sayan, the second accused in the case, who met with an accident in Palakkad on Saturday, and if there is any role of insiders in the estate in the break-in.

When contacted, he said that investigation was not over. Police had fixed 11 persons, including the 4 arrested and Kanagaraj, ex-driver of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, who died in an accident in Salem and Sayan, the second accused who was injured in an accident in Palakkad on Saturday.  

When asked about the role of Sajeevan, a timber merchant based in Nilgiris in this case, as he is suspected to have helped Sayan gaining entry into the Kodanad bungalow some years ago as a carpentry worker, Mr Rambha said that police are investigating.

He also said that two cars involved in the incident were Kerala registered cars and the Santro used by Kanagaraj and Sayan was registered in Tamil Nadu.

While he declined to answer other queries, police sources said that there is information that a former minister in Gudalur played a key role in introducing Sajeevan to the Kodanad estate to carry out carpentry works when the bungalow was built.

Sources added that Kangaraj, prime accused in the case, while on duty in Kodanad a few years ago, became friends with Sayan and Sajeevan.  Since Sajeevan left for Dubai recently, enquiry into his role is delayed.  

Police are also investigating as to who was responsible for introducing Kanagaraj to Jayalalithaa and whether Kanagaraj was in contact with insiders at Kodanad after being sacked from service by Jayalalithaa.  

Since the Gudalur belt bordering Kerala is dominated by Malayalis, police are also investigating whether anybody from Kerala helped the accused to have a free run in the Nilgiris and stay in hotels here, before committing the offence.

Four accused remanded to custody in Kovai
In a sensational turn to the Kodanad estate break-in-cum murder case, four persons, all hailing from Thirussur in Kerala- A Santosh, Sami (39), D Deepu (32), S. Satheesan (42), and A Udayakumar-, were on Sunday produced before the Judicial Magistrate court in Coonoor and later taken to Coimbatore for custody.

Earlier on Sunday, the four arrested were taken to Kodanad estate bungalow by the cops here to make them conduct a demo of how they allegedly gained entry into the bungalow and attacked security guards there.

However, the cops here still need to answer some of the questions such as how the accused came to know about the removal of surveillance cameras in the estate bungalow and whether somebody played a role in the accused crossing the hill border.

Though the police version was that Kanagaraj, the ex-driver of former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa and prime accused who since died in  an accident near Salem on Saturday, informed the gang about removal of surveillance cameras in the bungalow premises, what still eludes is “how did he come to know about that when the surveillance cameras are said to have been removed very recently”. This made one suspect that there could be some insiders who had been in touch with Kanagaraj and were passing information regularly, said sources.

Another version of the police is that the gang travelled in two vehicles through Gudalur and the police intercepted them in Gudalur on April 24 morning, but later on released the vehicles as they could not find any prima facie evidence about the involvement of the vehicles in the crime.

However, when the cops alerted all the check-posts in the hill borders by around 3 am itself on April 24 wee hours, why the police in Gudalur failed to suspect these two vehicles after intercepting them. The cops needed to clarify whether there was any pressure from the politicians or from a high profile timber merchant in Gudalur having connections with Kodanad estate and the ruling party, to the cops to release the vehicles, said sources.

Thirdly, when the cops had planned to pick up Kanagaraj and his accomplice Sayan on Saturday, how come both of them met with accidents on the same day within a gap of few hours?  Though it looks to be a normal vehicle accident, there are talks in the air that it was a planned murder and some high profile figures might be behind it as the arrest of Kanagaraj would have led to unraveling of many a mystery shrouding the latest crime at Kodanad.

Though the cops maintained initially that the gang of dacoits wore masks and their identity could not be established, now, there is an alleged shift in their stand as the cops claimed now that the gang members wore only monkey cap and not masks.

Finally, the cops downplayed the facts about the three suitcases, which were found opened in the bungalow on the fateful night. Speculation is rife  that the gang might have looted crores of rupees worth cash/jewels packed in the suitcases and fled the scene.  

Since, any utterances about the cash/jewel part would land Kodand estate in further trouble, there was no mention about looting of cash or jewels, sources added.

Police pick up two more persons in Kerala
The cops investigating into the Kodanad break-in are said to have picked up two persons in Malapuram area in Kerala on Sunday evening. Police sources said that the cops have taken two persons, namely Jithin and Karaat into custody for interrogation in Malapuram as the duo are suspected to have taken two vehicles for rent and said to have used the vehicles for the Kodanad break-in.  A final picture would emerge on Monday, sources said.