The deceased, whom police identified as Prakash, was being taken home from Erode by Kochuveli-Gorakhpur Rapti Sagar Express by two relatives – Ramkumar (35) and a 15-year-old – who were arrested on murder charges.
Police said when the train arrived at Chennai station, the duo tried to wake up Prakash and found him dead. The Government Railway Police sent the body for postmortem.
Police said Prakash, who was married and had a child, had come to Erode on August 15 with his relatives and a few others to work at a stone quarry. However, his health deteriorated within a day and he appeared restless and was found running aimlessly. The contractor, who had hired the workers, asked his relatives to take him back to their hometown.
The two relatives informed Prakash’s mother and the three boarded the Rapti Sagar Express on Wednesday evening. Police inquiries revealed Prakash was moving aimlessly in the coach, which made some passengers uncomfortable and they complained to his escorts. Ramkumar and the juvenile then tied Prakash’s hands and feet with a cloth. As he kept screaming, they tied his neck and pushed him under the seat, some passengers told police.
A GRP officer said Prakash might have struggled to free himself, leading to strangulation. While Ramkumar was sent to jail, the juvenile was admitted to a government correctional facility.