Police said Selvavinayagam (40) and his wife had arrived here from Chennai in December to buy some land in Yercaud hills.
The estate owner, who is the woman's brother-in-law and his two friends, a store keeper and junior assistant in the University reportedly took the man to Killiyur area, killed the man after a heated argument over purchase of land, dumped his body in the forest area and then fled.
His decomposed body was discovered some days later and case registered under Section 174 Crpc (suspicious death).