Essar Gopi retracts his confession in court

MADURAI: Retracting his confession pointing an accusing finger at ‘Pottu’ Suresh in connection with the autorickshaw driver Pandiarajan murder case in which he was arrested and jailed, ‘Essar’ Gopi, during the hearing at the Judicial Magistrate Court-7 here on Tuesday, told the Magistrate that he admitted to having committed the murder owing to police pressure.As the one-day police custody of ‘Essar’ Gopi got over, the cops produced him in the District Court and later, took him to the Tiruchi central prison.Earlier in his confession statement, which was submitted before the court, here on Tuesday, Gopi had said: “It was Pottu Suresh who ordered me to murder Pandiarajan.” ‘Essar’ Gopi, who was taken into police custody for interrogation in a murder case which was reported as a hit-and-run case on April 16, 2009.In custody, Gopi had confessed that the murder was an outcome of the enmity between ‘Pottu’ Suresh and ‘Attack’ Pandi. “Pandiarajan was sent to threaten ‘Pottu’ Suresh by ‘Attack’ Pandi as grassroots level workers like him were affected by the atrocities of ‘Pottu’ Suresh. Pandiarajan warned Suresh not to continue in that fashion. Irked by this, Suresh sought my help to kill Pandiarajan,” Gopi informed the police during the investigation.Gopi told investigating officers that he could have committed the offence as a straight murder instead of committing it as a purported crime. “Had I done that, only two would have faced murder charges, but now 15 persons are facing its consequ ences after being arrested in this connection,” Gopi had said.“I never thought that the police would be able to detect the case and it never happened when we were in power,” Gopi added.Later, Gopi was taken to his farm house by the police to recover other evidences.