28-year-old gets life term for murder

A 28-year-old construction worker has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court for bomb blast cases on Friday for murdering his co-worker at a construction site near Gold Wins here in August 2014. The accused had lost his mobile phone and he suspected his co-worker of theft. When the former confronted him, a heated argument erupted, ending in murder.

V Vijayakumar, 18, a native of Meenakulam in Virudhunagar came to Coimbatore city on August 5, 2014 for construction work. He stayed with Muthupandi and a few construction workers in a temporary shed at the construction site located at Gold Wins near Chinniyampalayam.

When Muthupandi lost his mobile phone, he confronted Vijayakumar on suspicion that he stole it. This led to a quarrel. Other workers intervened and pacified them. On August 9, 2014, Muthupandi again questioned Vijayakumar and at 3.30am, when Vijayakumar accidentally kicked Muthupandi in his slee, a furious Muthupandi assaulted Vijayakumar with a sledge hammer and fled.

Vijayakumar sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared that he was brought dead. Later, the body was sent to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for post-mortem. Meanwhile, Peelamedu police inspector K Gobi and his team arrested the absconding accused Muthupandi and lodged him at Coimbatore central prison.

The trial was held at the special court for the bomb blast cases.

Special public prosecutor J Amalanathan had argued in court that there was no motive for the killing. The deceased clearly told Muthupandi that he did not steal his mobile phone. But Muthupandi murdered the young construction worker. Judge M Srinivasan heard arguments from both sides and pronounced the verdict on Friday. He sentenced Muthupandi to life imprisonment and fined him Rs 1,000.

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