Youth held for murder of woman, two children

CHENNAI: The CB-CID on Wednesday arrested a 24-year-old man at Kenikarai near Ramanathapuram for the kidnap and murder of a 24-year-old woman and her two children in the same place last year.
Acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed Avul Hameed Yasim (24) of Ramanathapuram when he came to meet a friend. He was remanded in judicial custody on Thursday.
Special teams are hunting for the other accused Sahul Hameed, his mother Ramzan Beevi, his step-mother Jailani, his friends Manikandan and Mohammad Harshath who may have either gone underground or gone abroad.The arrested Yasim is a friend of Sahul Hameed, the police said.
Adhila Banu (24), her son Mohammad Aswan (7) and daughter Ajira Banu (5) were kidnapped in a car and smothered to death on November 8, 2010. Their bodies were buried in a coconut grove owned by Sahul Hameed's grandmother Fakir Ammal in Sathankulam near Ramanathapuram. Later, they were exhumed and dumped in two separate places in Vadipatti police limits near Madurai.
According to the police, Muthusamy, driver for a man named Seeni Katti, fell in love with Adhila Banu, changed his name to Ahmed and they married in 2003. In 2009, he witnessed the murder of a relative of Seeni Katti by a rival group, and later went to Singapore where he worked in a hotel. There, he was attacked by Seeni Katti's son-in-law Sahul Hameed.
On learning about the attack, Adhila Banu allegedly vowed to take revenge against Sahul Hameed. The latter came to know of it and devised a plan. Jayakumar, a friend of both Hameed and Adhila Banu's husband, called her to a godown to give her the LPG cylinder she had sought. She went there with her children and the three were kidnapped and done to death, the police said.
In November 2010, the police arrested Jayakumar, Sheik Jahazath alias Sultani, Thamumul Ansari, Janawas, Nagoor Hussain, Muniasamy and Fakir Ammal in connection with the murder. Later Banu's mother Saibunnissa approached the Madurai bench of the Madras high court and the case was referred to the CB-CID in December 2010.