The death of DMK former MP S. Masthan, earlier attributed to a cardiac arrest, has taken a new turn with police investigations revealing that he was murdered in cold blood.

According to the earlier version, Masthan, who was vice chairman of Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission, was travelling in a car with Imran Basha, his brother’s son-in-law, towards Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu when he was said to have complained of chest pain.

Imran had told police that Masthan complained of a chest pain following which he took him to a nearby hospital, but while coming back, Masthan passed away due to a heart attack.

However, an investigation was launched following a complaint filed by Masthan’s son as he suspected foul play in the death of his father.

While Basha claimed that he was the only other person travelling with Masthan in the car, CCTV footage revealed that there were also two other men sitting in the back seat. The duo had followed Masthan’s car and somewhere en route had boarded it.

The post-mortem report stated that Masthan died due to asphyxiation. There was also a contusion on the victim’s nose as he got hurt while the killers were suffocating him.

Police investigations revealed that while the two men in the back seat of the car held Masthan’s hands, Basha suffocated him by putting his hand on the ex-MP’s nose and mouth.

Investigations have also revealed that Basha had borrowed Rs 15 lakh from Masthan and was not willing to return the money. Masthan wanted the money back for his son’s wedding and was insisting that it be returned soon. This turned out to be the motive behind the ruthless murder.