Two days after an unidentified body was discovered on an open plot in Vellalore, Coimbatore, city police have apprehended four college students on charges of murder. Investigators revealed that the group allegedly drugged and suffocated a 21-year-old man, angered by his frequent video conversations with the girlfriend of one of the accused.

The deceased has been identified as Surya, a native of Madurai and a university student in Chennai. The suspects—Karthi (21) from Avaniyapuram, Naren Karthick (20) from Sundarapuram, Madesh (21) from Kinathukadavu, and Mohammed Rafi (21) from Podanur—were all enrolled at a private college in Kuniyamuthur and were living together in a rented house in Postal Colony, Perur.

According to the Podanur police, the body was found abandoned on a piece of land earmarked for the construction of an integrated bus terminal in Vellalore. During the inquiry, it emerged that Karthi had grown hostile toward Surya due to his girlfriend’s ongoing video interactions with the latter.

On the night of the incident, Surya was invited to their shared residence. Once there, the group administered narcotics and then allegedly suffocated him using a pillow. The next evening, they transported the body in a vehicle and disposed of it in the vacant area before fleeing.

Police detained all four suspects on Tuesday. They were presented before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday. Further investigation is underway to uncover additional details.