In the early hours of September 16, 2023, a small hut in Allanur village, near Chengalpet, south of Chennai, was engulfed in flames, resulting in what was initially believed to be a tragic fire accident. The police recovered charred remains, which were identified by a woman as those of her son, Suresh R, aged 38, a physical trainer who had recently relocated from Chennai to his village.
The case took an unexpected turn by the end of December when it was revealed that the presumed victim, Suresh, was, in fact, alive.
Suresh, a polytechnic graduate and a separated man living alone in a sparsely populated area, was thought to have perished in the fire. However, the investigation into his alleged death uncovered startling details, connecting it to the disappearance of his friend, Dilli Babu, aged 39, just a week before Suresh’s supposed demise. Babu’s family had reported him missing to the Ennore police, north of Chennai, on September 23.
With no progress in the missing person case, Babu’s family filed a fresh complaint with the Avadi city police commissionerate and sought court intervention. The breakthrough in the investigation came when police questioned Babu’s elder brother, Palani, who revealed that Suresh used to visit their house frequently, and Babu often stayed with him. Further examination showed that Babu’s phone had been near Suresh’s hut in the days leading up to the fire.
A crucial tip from an individual named Amutha indicated that she had seen Suresh with three others around the time of the incident.
As the investigation progressed, a new suspect emerged: Harikrishnan, a close associate of Suresh. The police traced him to Vellore, where, to their surprise, they found not only Harikrishnan but also the supposedly deceased Suresh.
During questioning, Suresh admitted to a sinister plot – he had orchestrated his own death to claim a substantial Rs 1 crore insurance payout. Over the last two years, he had paid over Rs 50,000 in insurance premiums. Suresh initially planned to claim a body from a government hospital, exploiting the assistance of organizations that handle funerals for unclaimed bodies. Later, he reconnected with an old acquaintance, Babu, who became a pivotal figure in the unfolding events.
Harikrishnan and Babu, along with another individual named Keerthi Rajan, 23, joined Suresh at his house in Allanur village on September 9, indulging in days of drinking. On September 13, Suresh disclosed his plan to the accomplices. Rajan targeted the intoxicated Babu on September 15 evening, strangling him with a generator string. They subsequently set Babu’s body and the hut ablaze in the early hours of September 16, intending to pass it off as Suresh’s demise.
All three suspects, Suresh, Harikrishnan, and Keerthi Rajan, were arrested and have been sent to judicial custody as of Monday morning.
