Jayalalithaa's former driver, suspect in murder case, killed in Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore: A former driver of late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa Jayaraman was on Saturday killed in a road accident.

Notably, Kankaraj was one of the main suspects in the murder of a security guard at a bungalow in nearby Kodanad Estate frequented by Jayalalithaa.

Kanakaraj died after his two-wheeler hit a car early today at Athur in Salem district, police said.

The death of Kankaraj has deepened the mystery of the murder of the Nilgiris district`s Kodanad Estate`s security guard a couple of days back.

The police were on the lookout for two persons -- Kanakaraj and Syan.

Curiously, Syan while travelling in a car with his family in Palakkad in Kerala met with an accident and was in a critical condition.

His wife and five-year-old daughter died in the accident. Their car had rammed against a stationary lorry.

Kanakaraj and Sayan were key suspects in the break-in and murder case, police said, citing information provided by three persons taken into custody on Friday in connection with the incident, police said.

The estate figures in the disproportionate assets case involving jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala and Jayalalithaa, among others.

A security guard posted at the bungalow, frequently visited by Jayalalithaa, at nearby Kodanad estate was found dead on April 24, while some documents were suspected to have been stolen from there.

While 40-year-old Om Bahadur was found dead, a seriously wounded Kishore is undergoing treatment.

Quoting villagers, the police had then said a 10-member gang in two vehicles was seen entering the area in the early hours.

Police suspected the motive of the gang could have been to steal valuables or documents, as one door of the bungalow was found broken open.

Resistance by the guards might have led to their being attacked causing the death of one of them, they said.

Police had earlier said one or two suitcases at the bungalow were found prised open, but it was not clear what they contained.

(With Agency inputs)