Realtor murder: Student among 3 held

Chennai: Police arrested a woman, a history-sheeter and a college student on Monday in connection with the murder of a realtor in Thiruverkadu.Investigation revealed that the lover of the realtor's wife plotted the murder. The wife, was let off after she told police that she was not aware of the plot.The deceased, Sivakumar, 47, a resident of DTS Nagar in Thiruverkadu, lived with his wife Vijayakumari and their three children. On Friday evening, Sivakumar left to pick up his children from school in an autorickshaw. When he stopped in Koladi area to attend nature's call, he was hacked to death by a group. CCTV footage led Thiruverkadu police to identify one of the attackers as Lal, a history-sheeter from Thiruverkadu. He was apprehended, along with a college student named Mohan, 20, who allegedly assisted in the crime.During interrogation, the accused said that the murder was planned due to a financial dispute involving another local man, Suresh, 32, who was subsequently arrested. Police said Suresh, who previously worked with Sivakumar in real estate, developed an affair with Vijayakumari. When Sivakumar got wind of their relationship, he confronted them. Suresh saw Sivakumar as an obstacle to the relationship and conspired to eliminate him, the police added.Suresh allegedly took Lal's help to carry out the murder. The assailants followed Sivakumar for nearly a week before attacking him last Friday.Lal, Mohan, and Suresh have been remanded in judicial custody. Vijayakumari was let off after an inquiry.