Chennai, March 25 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) has issued a summons to V.N. Sudhakaran, the nephew of former AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala and the disowned foster son of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, in connection with the infamous Kodanad Estate heist-cum-murder case.
He has been asked to appear before investigators at the CB-CID office in Coimbatore on March 27.
Sudhakaran’s connection to the case stems from his position as a shareholder in the Kodanad Estate, which was once a private retreat of the late Jayalalithaa.
The CB-CID is examining his possible links and knowledge regarding the case.
Meanwhile, the CB-CID’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has once again sought the assistance of Interpol to trace international phone calls made to the prime accused, C. Kanagaraj, believed to have used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.
Special Public Prosecutor Shajahan informed the Nilgiris District Sessions Court that despite repeated requests, Interpol has not yet shared any information.
A fresh reminder, also involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has now been sent through the court.
During the recent court hearing on March 19, prime suspects Walayar Manoj and K.V. Sayan were present, and the court adjourned the matter after hearing the updates.
So far, 245 individuals have been questioned by the SIT concerning the case.
Recently, three more people were interrogated at the Police Recruit School in Coimbatore. These include Kabeer, the ambulance driver who transported the body of Dinesh Kumar, a 24-year-old computer operator from the estate who died under suspicious circumstances; office staffer Suresh; and an area resident named Shankar. Their statements were video recorded.
Earlier, Special Sub Inspector Mahesh Kumar of the Coimbatore rural police was also questioned, as he was part of the initial team that investigated the Kodanad case.
The Kodanad Estate heist-cum-murder case dates back to April 23, 2017, when a gang of 11 men, led by Kanagaraj – a former driver at Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence – conspired to rob the estate, suspecting a hidden stash of Rs 200 crore in cash. Arriving in two cars, the armed gang reached Gate Number 8 of the estate at around 10.30 p.m. They broke through the gate and tied up one of the security guards, Krishna Thapa, locking him in a lorry. Two of the accused stood guard over him while the rest proceeded to Gate Number 10, where they assaulted and killed the second guard, Om Bahadur.
Breaking into the bungalow through a window using an iron rod, the gang searched three rooms, including Jayalalithaa’s office. However, they did not find any money. Instead, they fled with ten wristwatches and a crystal rhino, collectively valued at around Rs 42,000.
The case grew even murkier in the aftermath of the heist.
Just five days later, the prime accused, Kanagaraj, died in a road accident on the Salem-Chennai highway near Attur. Coincidentally, on the same day, co-accused Sayan from Kerala’s Thrissur met with an accident near Palakkad. The crash killed his wife and daughter, though Sayan survived with injuries.
Adding to the mystery, on July 3, 2017, Dinesh Kumar, the estate’s computer operator, was found dead at his residence in Kotagiri. The police ruled it a suicide, making it the fourth mysterious death linked to the case.
As the investigation unfolds, the CB-CID continues to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the heist, the murder, and the subsequent deaths—all of which have led to widespread public intrigue and suspicion over the real motives behind the crime.
–IANS
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