Quarrel over missing liquor bottle ends in murder

Coimbatore: A 55-year-old man was beaten to death in a drunken brawl over a missing liquor bottle at Devarayapuram near Kinathukadavu here on Thursday night.

Police arrested 24-year-old V Perumalsamy, of Aranmanai Pudur, on Friday for murdering his co-worker N Sakthivel, of Devarayapuram village.

The two were farm workers. “Farm owner Sakthi Shanmugam had contested the local body polls for the post of village panchayat councillor as an independent. As he was defeated, he, along with farm workers, consumed liquor at his farm. Later, all of them, except Perumalsamy, left for their houses,” the officer said.

Sakthivel, who was in an inebriated condition, called up Perumalsamy to enquire about a missing liquor bottle and scolded him badly. “When Perumalsamy told him that he hadn’t taken the bottle, Sakthivel reached the farmland and a heated argument broke out. In a fit of rage, Perumalsamy attacked Sakthivel with an iron rod, killing him on the spot,” the officer said.

TNN