TRICHY: An employee of a jewellery showroom, who was carrying1.5kg gold ornaments from Chennai in a taxi, was murdered by the driver and six of his accomplices near Thozhudhur in
Cuddalore
on Sunday. The accused then buried his body near Mannachanallur in
Trichy
.
Martin Jayaraj, 42, of
Puthur
in Trichy was assigned with the task of purchasing gold ornaments worth 75 lakh from
Sowcarpet
in Chennai on Saturday. The shop owner had already made the payment to the seller online. Jayaraj informed his owner about his return to Trichy by the same taxi he had used to reach Chennai.
Since he failed to return to the showroom on Sunday, the shop owner called him up but his cell phone was switched off. The owner lodged a complaint with the Woraiyur police who took up the investigation after filing a case of criminal breach of trust and cheating against Jayaraj.
Police also roped in the cybercrime police. The cybercrime wing tracked Jayaraj’s mobile number and found it switched off near Thozhudhur.
Police also traced the taxi driver, who was a resident of Srirangam and detained him. During preliminary inquiry, the driver confessed to have committed the murder with six of his accomplices near Thozhudhur en route Trichy and buried Jayaraj’s body near Mannachanallur. The other accused were also held. A senior police officer said the Woraiyur police took the driver to the spot and identified the location where the body was buried.