Police in Tamil Nadu have arrested three individuals, including the co-owner of a Port Blair hotel, in connection with the July murder of businessman Niamat Ali, authorities announced on Monday. The 49-year-old victim, who co-owned a hotel in the Shadipur area of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was strangled during a business trip to Chennai, allegedly due to a rivalry with his partner. The arrests, made on October 3 by officers from Khilambakkam police station in Tambaram district with support from Andaman and Nicobar Police, mark a significant breakthrough in a case that began as a missing persons report. Investigators are now pursuing two additional suspects believed to be involved in the conspiracy.
Ali's disappearance unfolded rapidly on July 27, when he arrived in Chennai for what was described as routine business dealings. His family, concerned after he failed to return or respond to calls, filed a missing persons complaint at Aberdeen Police Station in Port Blair the following day. A specialised team was swiftly dispatched to Chennai, where CCTV footage from the airport revealed Ali heading to the Vandalur area. There, he was last seen with a student who later provided crucial leads. Technical surveillance, circumstantial evidence, and witness testimonies enabled authorities to pinpoint the three accused: 31-year-old Muntaqueem Ahmed, identified as the primary conspirator, along with two accomplices. Police sources indicate the group, all residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, meticulously planned the killing, drawing inspiration from crime television series they had binge-watched.
The murder itself was a calculated act of brutality, according to the lead investigator. After luring Ali into a private car with four occupants—including the victim—the assailants reportedly drugged him, possibly using chloroform sourced from online searches conducted by one suspect. They then strangled him with a rope before concealing his body in the vehicle's trunk. The group drove over 30 hours, traversing Andhra Pradesh to reach Rourkela in Odisha, where they weighted the corpse with boulders in a sack and dumped it into the Brahmani River on July 28. The abandoned car was later discovered near the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, providing forensic clues that tied it to the crime scene. Business disputes over the hotel's operations are suspected as the motive, highlighting tensions in Andaman's burgeoning tourism sector, which relies heavily on such enterprises.
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As the investigation intensifies, a team from Andaman and Nicobar Police is coordinating with Odisha authorities to recover Ali's body from the river, a task complicated by the waterway's depth and currents. The arrests underscore the effectiveness of interstate collaboration in tackling cross-border crimes, particularly in India's remote island territories where logistical challenges often hinder probes. With the three suspects in custody and undergoing interrogation, police express confidence in unravelling the full conspiracy. Ali's family, awaiting closure after months of uncertainty, has welcomed the developments, though the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the perils lurking behind professional rivalries in isolated regions like the Andamans.
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