A 30-year-old motorcycle mechanic was arrested for allegedly killing his friend by forcing sand into his mouth, following a quarrel while the two were consuming liquor near a lake at Kannappalayam, near Avadi, on September 20.
The accused has been identified as Madan, while the victim Vasanthakumar, 45, was a tailor from Kannappalayam. According to police, the two men were friends but frequently quarrelled over trivial issues.
Police said Vasanthakumar was found dead on the bund of the Kannappalayam tank on September 21. Initially, the Avadi police registered a case of suspicious death, as there were no obvious signs of assault, and sent the body to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for a post mortem.
The postmortem findings, however, raised suspicion after doctors found sand stuffed inside Vasanthakumar’s mouth. The police then focused their investigation on people who had been with him before his death and detained Madan for questioning.
During interrogation, Madan allegedly told police that he and Vasanthakumar had gone to the lake bund on the night of September 20 and consumed liquor. An argument broke out between them, following which Madan allegedly forced sand into Vasanthakumar’s mouth and left the place.
Police suspect Vasanthakumar, who was heavily intoxicated, suffocated after the sand blocked his airway and died on the spot.
The police subsequently altered the case to murder and arrested Madan on Friday. He was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody at Puzhal Central Prison.
Published – September 26, 2026 08:17 pm IST
