Cashier at scrap shop found murdered, colleague on run

CHENNAI: A 67-year-old man who was scheduled to catch a bus to Thoothukudi on Saturday night was found dead with cut injuries on his head and face on a lake bed near Perungalathur bus stand. Police are now looking for his colleague with whom the deceased was last seen.

Police identified the deceased as John Rajasingh, who had been working as a cashier at a scrap shop in suburban Padappai. He left the shop around 7.30 pm on Saturday with his colleague Kovil Raja on a two-wheeler to get dropped at the bus stand, from where he was supposed to board a bus to his native.

He had reserved his ticket, but he never got into the bus.

At around 11 pm, people found his body on the Peerkankaranai lake bed and informed the police about it. The police team from Peerkankaranai station shifted the body for post mortem to Chrompet GH.

Police said Kovil Raja had gone missing since Saturday night. There is no trace of him and the two-wheeler on which both travelled from Padappai shop to the bus stand. His mobile phone is also switched off, police said.

The police had informed the family of John Rajasingh in Thoothukudi about his demise.

With Kovil Raja going missing, police believe that he could have killed John Rajasingh over a quarrel, though the real motive behind the murder will be known only after police nab the suspect.

The deceased 67-year-old man was scheduled to catch a bus to Thoothukudi on Saturday night and was riding pillion on the two-wheeler of his colleague with whom he was last seen