Terror suspects linked with another murder, says TN Police

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Police today said the three terror suspects arrested in Puthur in October five have confessed to have murdered another jewellery employee in Vellore for Rs 1.5 lakh in April. The confession by the accused persons, already believed to be involved in the series of murders across Tamil Nadu, is considered to be connecting yet another dot in the investigation by Tamil Nadu Police. "After sustained interrogation these accused have confessed to their involvement in the murder of Panchatcharam in Vellore," the CBCID said in a statement. The case registered in Gudiyatham Police station pertains to the murder of a jewellery shop employee Panchatcharam by three motorcycle-borne assailants, who also robbed Rs 1.5 lakh from him on April 29, remained undetected so far. The accused revealed that they followed the deceased on a motorcycle before intercepting and robbing him of his bag containing Rs 1.5 lakh, it said. "Due to resistance by the victim, they stabbed him. The accused confessed that they committed this crime to rob the deceased of his money for the purpose of Jihad," the statement said. Following the report filed by the CBCID on the accused`s confession, DGP K Ramanujam has transferred the investigation of the case to Special Investigation Division of the CBCID. Fakrudeen, Bilal Malik and Panna Ismail were arrested by the CBCID from a obscure location in Andhra Pradesh on October 4, for their alleged involvement in the murder cases of Velliappan at Vellore, auditor Ramesh at Salem, milk vendor Suresh at Madurai in 2012 and for an IED planted on the proposed convoy route of BJP leader L K Advani in 2001. The accused confessed to their involvement in murder cases of Murugan at Paramakudi and Aravind Reddy at Vellore, the CBCID said. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had announced and distributed a cash reward of Rs five lakh each to all the personnel of Special Investigation Division of Tamil Nadu Police, who were involved in the operation to arrest three suspects in the 2011 Advani bomb and other important cases.