Man gets life term for murdering his friend

Coimbatore : Tirupur first additional district court judge M E Padma on Wednesday sentenced a 36-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering his friend. The victim, Prabhu, 25, and the accused, Ilayaraja, both from Thanjavur district, were living together at Priyanka Nagar in Veerapandi, Tirupur, and working in a dyeing factory. Ilayaraja had borrowed 7,000 from Prabhu. On January 13, 2009, Prabhu asked Ilayaraja to return the money, which led to a heated argument and scuffle. Ilayaraja allegedly attacked Prabhu with an iron rod, killing him on the spot. He then took Prabhu's mobile phone and Rs 6,800 from his bag, placed the body in a sack, and threw it into a temple well near Vanji Nagar. Veerapandi police registered a murder case and arrested Ilayaraja. After trial, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 12,000.