3 held in Erode for beating north Indian to death

Three men were arrested today for allegedly murdering an unidentified 30-year north Indian after suspecting him to be a thief in Vandipalayam suburb of the district in Erode, police said.

The victim, suspected to belong to Maharashtra, but whose identity is yet to be established, was found dead yesterday after a Vandipalayam resident whose door he knocked at late on Wednesday, who took him to be a thief and raised an alarm, they said.

The victim, who they said was mentally unbalanced, was beaten with rafters and sticks and sustained head injuries. He was not given medical aid even as he lay on the road and they were informed of the incident only after his death, they said.

Subramaniam, the 61-year-old who suspected the victim to be a thief and raised an alarm, his son Thiagarajan, 38 and their relative Selvaraj, 40, have been arrested in connection with the murder, police said.

The three had admitted to the crime and have been booked under section 302 of IPC (murder), they said.

In order to identify the deceased, police said they have arranged the publication of his photograph in some north Indian towns and also plan to paste his photograph in north-bound trains.