Construction worker gets life for beating man to death

Trichy: A 26-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment in Trichy on Tuesday for beating a man to death who had allegedly stolen his mobile phone in 2023.The incident took place under the Cauvery bridge on May 28, 2023. S Vadivelu, a construction worker from Veppur in Cuddalore district, was sleeping under the bridge when J Sakthivel, 37, from Sinthamani allegedly stole his mobile phone and cash. Enraged, Vadivelu along with four others beat Sakthivel to death using wooden logs. Following a complaint, the Fort station police registered a murder case against Vadivelu, S Sarathkumar, 30, and three others. All the accused were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. The investigation was completed, and the charge sheet was filed in the additional district court on Aug 9, 2023. The probe revealed that Sakthivel was just passing through. Delivering the verdict on Tuesday, judge S Gopinathan convicted Vadivelu under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1,000. Sarathkumar was sentenced to six months of rigorous imprisonment while three others were acquitted.Trichy police commissioner N Kamini appreciated the police team for securing the conviction in the case.