Kodanad murder-robbery: Police take 3 arrested Keralites back to Manjeri

Three Keralites accused in the murder of a security guard at the Kodanad estate of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa were taken back to Kerala on Friday after being questioned by police in Ooty for the last two days. 

Justin Joy, Jamsher Ali and Manoj Sami were arrested from Kerala and brought to Kothagiri for carrying out inquiry with regard to the case and taken into police custody. After questioning, all three were produced before the Kothagiri Judicial Magistrate C Sridhar, who allowed police from Kerala to take them back to Manjeri and to be lodged in jail there, the police said. 

The investigation has revealed the involvement of 11 persons so far, including Kanakaraj, a former driver of Jayalalithaa. Kanakaraj was killed in a road accident in Salem on April 29, while another key accused Sayan was injured in a mishap in Kerala the same day. Sayan was questioned on May 3 by Nilgiris district Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha at a private hospital in Coimbatore, where he has been under treatment since April 29. 

The gang had planned the dacoity based on Kanakaraj's information that there was a huge amount of cash in the bungalow, police had said. The Kodanad estate figures in a disproportionate assets case involving Jayalalithaa and jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, among others.

• Kodanad case
• J Jayalalithaa
• VK Sasikala