Father, Accomplice Arrested for Son's Brutal Murder and Dismemberment

In a significant breakthrough, Crime Branch-CID police in Theni have apprehended two individuals, including a former district functionary of Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), in connection with the brutal murder of the latter's son in 2023. The victim, 20-year-old Srikanth, was allegedly killed by his father, Balumurugan alias Vendharbala, and his accomplice, Alexpandian. A third accused, Karuppaiya, remains at large.

Investigations revealed that Srikanth had frequent disputes with his father, Vendharbala, leading to a police case against the father in 2023. When Srikanth went missing in September that year, his mother filed a complaint, but the investigation yielded no results. A habeas corpus petition filed in the Madras high court eventually led to the case being transferred to the CB-CID in February 2026.

According to police, Alexpandian confessed that he, Vendharbala, and Karuppaiya jointly murdered Srikanth near the Mullaperiyar riverbed. The victim was reportedly lured to the location on the pretext of assisting him in obtaining a driver's licence and an autorickshaw. After consuming alcohol, the trio strangled Srikanth with a cloth. To conceal their crime, they dismembered the body using knives and disposed of the parts in the Mullaperiyar river.