The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) has been granted one-day custody of Cuddalore Member of Parliament T.R.V.S. Ramesh (DMK), the prime accused in the murder of a worker in a cashew processing unit at Panikankuppam near Panruti on September 20.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Cuddalore N. Prabakar passed the order on Wednesday with a direction to the CB-CID to produce Mr. Ramesh before the court at 1.15 p.m. on Thursday.

The CB-CID, to which the murder case of K. Govindarasu, 60 of Melmampattu was transferred recently from the Kadampuliyur police, had filed a petition before the court on Wednesday, seeking two day custody of the MP. Following the court order, the CB-CID team took Mr. Ramesh into their custody to interrogate him about the murder.

The victim, Govindarasu who was working in the cashew processing unit belonging to the MP, was accused of stealing 7 kg of cashew nuts and allegedly assaulted in the premises. He was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the unit a few hours later.

The CB-CID arrested five persons, all employees of the unit in connection with the murder and were on the lookout for Mr. Ramesh. Even as investigations were on, the MP surrendered before a local court in Panruti on Monday.