An Ex- Army Man Detained After 25 Years For Being Murder Convict
Update: 2021-12-27 21:30 IST
For representational purpose
In Tamil Nadu's Salem district, a murder convict who is also an ex-army member has been apprehended after 25 years. In 1997, Lakshmanan of Periyavadakampatti adjoining Omalur in Salem district and Venkattan of the same town had a land conflict.
As a result of this incident, farmer Lakshmanan died of his wounds at a government hospital on July 7, 1997, after Venkattan and his two sons, Dhanapal and Venugopal, reportedly attacked him.
Venkattan and his son Dhanapal were reportedly arrested in connection with the murder by the Deevattipatti police. Venkattan's second son, Venugopal, however, went missing. Police were looking for Venugopal in a number of locations but had no idea where he was. The case was handled in Salem, where Venkattan and his son Dhanapal were condemned to four years of hard labour. Furthermore, the court filed an arrest warrant for Venkattan's eldest son, Venugopal, who had eluded capture.
Venkattan and Dhanapal have been released from prison after a four-year sentence. The police, on the other hand, were unable to locate Venugopal. Shri Abhinav, the Salem District Superintendent of Police, took swift measures to apprehend the perpetrator.
A special police team was on the lookout for Venugopal. Venugopal had leased a house in Salem's Kurangu Chavadi district and was living there with his wife and daughters. Venugopal was apprehended by the special team on December 25 as a result of this. Venugopal worked in the Indian Army for 24 years throughout his 25 years of absconding. Venugopal has been a member of the Indian Army since 1989, and the murder occurred when he was on vacation in his hometown in 1997. Venugopal rejoined the Army after the incident.
The fact that Venugopal has been serving in the Army has surprised the cops. When Venugopal went missing, the Salem District Superintendent of Police is examining why the police did not conduct a thorough investigation and why they did not investigate where Venugopal worked.
However, the cops had no idea where Venugopal was at the time. Venugopal lived with his wife and children in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh while serving in the Army, according to the current probe.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Venugopal stepped down from the Army. He was detained while living with his family in a leased house in the Kurangu Chavadi neighbourhood near Salem, and he refused to return to his village following the incident. Venugopal was arrested and put in custody by a Salem court.