Chennai: A 65-year-old businessman from Adambakkam who was suspected to be missing was murdered and his mortal remains were wrapped in plastic bags and dumped near Virugambakkam Canal in Chinmaya Nagar. Around 7 am on Saturday, a conservancy worker with the civic body who checked on the suspicious-looking package near a canal on Nerkundram road alerted the police.
Police identified the deceased as Baskaran, a resident of Adambakkam. His hands and legs were tied and his car was found a few meters away from where his body was found. Virugambakkam police recovered the body and sent it to a Government hospital for autopsy. Investigations revealed that Baskaran, who ran a construction business also dabbled in film production and had financed a few films recently.
On Friday evening, he was supposed to attend a wedding reception at a star hotel in Chennai with his wife Backiyalakshmi. Baskaran left home in the evening, claiming to meet a business acquaintance. He called his wife and informed her that he was in Virugambakkam and would come and pick her up.
However, as hours passed, Baskaran did not turn up and his mobile phone was switched off after which the wife panicked and alerted her sons, Karthikeyan (40) and Koushik (36). The family informed the local police that Baskaran was missing. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Virugambakkam police who found the body in their jurisdiction began investigations into the murder.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that Baskaran had met another film financier in Virugambakkam. His possessions were stolen and his ATM card has been used in different locations in the city, ” said a senior police officer adding that they have formed special teams to nab the suspects. Police are yet to ascertain a motive behind the businessman’s murder.
