Three youths from Idukki district in Kerala state, were arrested by Udumalpet police on Saturday for murdering one of their friends. They dumped the dead body near a railway track at Udumalpet a few weeks back.
Police claimed that they were close friends and were involved in sandalwood smuggling in Kerala. The victim told his friends that he would reveal their names to the forest department officials in connection with the sandalwood smuggling case. So, his friends invited him to consume liquor at Udumalpet where they killed him by slitting his throat.
The deceased was identified as M Chandra Bose, 19, an auto driver from Maraiyur in Idukki district. Police said a dead body was found near a railway track located behind a college at Udumalpet in Tirupur district in the night of March 11.
On examining the body, a deep cut injury was found on the youth's throat. Udumalpet police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian penal Code (IPC).
Police said, Chandra Bose, owned an auto rickshaw that he used for smuggling sandalwoods. Forest department officials arrested a few of his friends and seized his auto . However, he managed to escape and was working in a textile unit at Annur.
He warned his accomplices that he would disclose their details and would drag their families' names in the case. Hence, his three friends R Nagaraj, 20, an electrician, V Manikandan, 19, an auto driver and V Vinodhkumar, 19, a daily wage labourer, all hailing from Devikulam taluk in Idukki district decided to kill him.
On March 11, they invited Chandra Bose to Udumalpet where they consumed liquor. Later the trio slit Chandra Bose's throat by using a knife and dumped the dead body near a railway track. All the three were lodged at the borstal school at Pollachi.