Kodanad: Police to re-investigate cases of ‘accident’ & ‘suicide’

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Setting the stage for more twists in the further probe of the Kodanad estate murder-burglary case, special police teams will re-investigate the deaths of prime suspect Kanagaraj and Kodanad estate computer operator Dhinesh Kumar, besides those of K V Sayan’s wife and daughter in a road accident in Kerala.
Of the five teams formed to hold further investigation of the Kodanad heist, one each will reinvestigate the FIRs on Kanagaraj’s death in a road accident in Salem district on April 28, 2017, the car crash death of Sayan’s family on April 29, 2017, and the apparent suicide of Dhinesh Kumar at his house on July 3, 2017.
“The remaining two teams would concentrate on reinvestigating the prosecution witnesses and other suspected persons in connection with the main murder-burglary case at the Kodanad estate,” sources told TOI. On Monday, however, police questioned Shaji of Thrissur in Kerala for about five hours at the old SP office in Ooty. The inquiry which began at 10.15am, went on till 3.30pm. Shaji is the uncle of Jithin Joy (Accused-10).
Earlier, Shaji was shown as prosecution witness (PW) 36 of the 103 witnesses identified in connection with the case by police. However, after 62 witnesses were dispensed with, he became PW23 of the 41 witnesses prosecuted earlier.
He was summoned by police to appear before the special investigation team headed by additional superintendent of police Krishnamurthy for re-investigation on Monday. Five special teams have been formed by the Nilgiris police to reinvestigate the case.
As part of the further investigation, so far, police have inquired Dhanabal, brother of Kanagaraj, and Natarajan (PW5), manager of Kodanad estate.
Earlier, Natarajan’s name appeared in the dispensed list of witnesses and hence he was not prosecuted then. Kanagaraj’s wife and his brother-in-law were questioned by police in Coimbatore last Saturday.
Meanwhile, a drone found hovering above the Kodanad bungalow, factory and office created a flutter in the area. Radhakrishnan, supervisor of the estate, lodged a complaint with the Sholurmattam police station in this connection. Sub-inspector Mohamaed Rafeeq conducted an inquiry.