Ex-Union minister in murder row

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Chennai police have launched an investigation to ascertain whether or not Wednesday night’s murder of a Muslim youth with whom a PMK leader’s daughter eloped and married was done with the knowledge of a former Union minister.

The police said that girl was separated from her husband, Bilal, 25, and kept in the house of a former Union minister from PMK, while her family had left their residence in Mandavelli two days ago.
Police are now on the lookout for the girl’s father, Maninvannan, a former Chennai corporation councillor who had stabbed the brother of the deceased at Mylapore police station in the first week of December 2011.

“It looks like Manivannan was in touch with the former minister. Once we arrest Manivannan and question him we will know more about the possible involvement of the former minister,” the police said.

Manivannan, the neighbour of the victim, had hired a gang for Rs2 lakh to eliminate Bilal, who had eloped with his college-going daughter in December.

The former councillor had lodged a complaint against Bilal saying that he had kidnapped his 19-year-old daughter. When police summoned Bilal’s brother, Ahamed Basha, for inquiry to the Mylapore police station, Manivannan stabbed him with a bayonet kept there.

Manivannan was arrested on an attempt to murder charge. He later located his daughter and convinced her to come home, took her to the house of a former Union minister where she was asked stay.

On Wednesday evening Bilal learnt that Manivannan had hired mercenaries. “He was planning to leave for Madurai Wednesday night but before he could go he was spotted by the gang. He was bundled into a van in Mylapore and his body was thrown near Mandaveli MRTS station,” the police said.