Coimbatore: An elderly man was murdered by his friend of more than 40 years, near Vellimalaipattinam in Coimbatore district on Friday.The deceased has been identified as S Nagarajan, 61, of Mahaliyamman Kovil Street near Vellimalaipattinam. He was involved in selling areca leaf plates. The accused, identified as K Kandasamy, 61, of Vaithehi Falls Road near Vellimalaipattinam, was arrested later in the day.On Friday morning, Nagaraj was heading to a relative’s house from a tea shop, when Kandhasamy intercepted him and stabbed him with a knife, before fleeing from the spot. Nagaraj sustained grievous injuries and was found lying in a pool of blood. An ambulance was called but the medical personnel who examined him, declared him dead.Police said the deceased and the accused were long-time friends and even used to consume alcohol together frequently. “However, about four months ago, a dispute broke out between them as Kandhasamy suspected Nagaraj of having an illicit relationship with his wife. They got into frequent quarrels since then,” said a police officer.A murder case has been registered at Alandurai police station based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s daughter Kalaivani. Further investigation is on.
