Medical rep’s body dug out from Palar riverbed

The body of a 25-year-old medical representative, Sivakumar of Cheyyanur, in Cheyyar Taluk, was exhumed from the Palar riverbed near Vannivedu, in Walajapet on Thursday.

The body was handed over to family members. Sivakumar was murdered by his friends when he had gone to hand out his marriage invitation cards on November 29. Sivakumar was planning to get married on December 3 at Kancheepuram.

Sivakumar’s body was exhumed in the presence of Walajapet tahsildar and the post-mortem was performed by a team of doctors from the Government Hospital at Walajapet.

The mysterious disappearance of Sivakumar took a new turn when his friend Aravindan (23) and Aravindan’s friend Sivasankaran (25), both from Walajapet, surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Court-I in Kancheepuram on Monday, stating that they had murdered Sivakumar.

The Brammadesam police took the duo into custody for three days for further inquiry.

The preliminary inquiry divulged that Aravindan (23) and Sivasankaran (25) had beaten Sivakumar to death after they had an altercation.

Police said, on the ill-fated day, Sivakumar had met Aravindan and Sivasankaran and had liquor, sitting on the Palar riverbed near Vannivedu.

While they were drinking, Sivakumar had spoken ill about Aravindan’s wife and her character. An enraged, Aravindan beat Sivakumar, who had retaliated. Aravindan’s friend Sivasankaran then came to the rescue of Aravindan and the duo beat him to death, the police officer said.

The duo had buried Sivakumar’s body in the riverbed. They confessed to the crime after police started investigating with his friends and relatives in Walajapet.