Madurai: A 25-year old engineering graduate
fell victim to an on-line fraud when was allegedly kidnapped
and murdered in Tamil Nadu`s Dindigul District by a gang that
befriended him through a social networking site speaking to
him in a "female voice".
All five members of the gang had been arrested by police
on the charge of murder. The body of the youth was found in
neighbouring Kodaikanal Hills on Saturday, police said.
Muthuvijayan, a B Tech graduate employed in a private
website and networking company here, was lured by a member of
the gang, who spoke to him in female voice using a new
facility in China-make mobile phones that converts male voice
into female voice and asked him to come to Theni, police said.
The victim, who had been in touch with the `girl` through
the social networking site, had posed himself as an affluent
person apparently to impress `her`.
Muthuvijayan left for Theni on October 3 and had since
been missing. When he reached Theni, the gang kidnapped him to
Kodaikanal in a car assuming that he was having money.
They told Muthuvijayan that he should pay money if he
wanted to meet the `girl`. However, after a wordy duel, the
gang stabbed him to death and pushed him down the hill, police
said.
Police achieved a quick breakthrough after the internet
records of Muthuvijayan led them to the cellphone number of
one of the gang members. Further investigation revealed the
gang had cheated several persons and extorted money after
befriending them through social networking sites.
Bureau Report
