Coimbatore: The five Tamils, whose bodies were found floating in a water body near Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, were part of 170 persons taken from Kalvarayan Malai on the border of Salem-Vizhuppuram districts of Tamil Nadu.

With nearly 270 tribal habitats in this area, 170 persons were taken to carry out daily-based works, stating that they were being taken to Mysuru in Karnataka, police said.

The details were received after police carried out inquiry with the villagers in the area, after the report of death of five persons in Ondimitta lake in Andhra Pradesh, reached the police, they said.

Police have identified the deceased as Murugesan of Adyiyanoor, Jayaraj and Chinnayyan of Keerankadu, Murugesan of Arasamaram and Karuppannan of Kizhvarai, they said. A pall of gloom prevailed in Kalvarayanmalai after hearing the death incident and further investigations are on with the family members, they said.

Quoting the relatives of those taken for work, Police said that they were told that all the 170 were being taken to Mysuru for work as usual and were confused to hear that they were in Andhra Pradesh.