In a shocking and gruesome incident, two persons – both aged around 27 years – were brutally murdered by an armed gang due to rivalry over a carom game in the thickly-populated Sellur here on Saturday.
As the news of the murders spread around 10 a.m., panic gripped the people of the area. Some shops in the Kalathupottal area downed shutters after some antisocial elements were seen running, carrying deadly weapons.
On information received by the control room, a team of police officials rushed to the spot.
The deceased were identified as Kasimayan (27) and Nagu alias Nagarajan (27). Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Samanth Rohan Rajendra and Sellur police officials conducted inquiries with the people in the locality.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that on Friday night, a group of persons, including Kasimayan and Nagarajan, were playing carom in an open place with one Pandi and his friends.
It is suspected that they had a clash over the game, which ended abruptly.
In the morning, when Kasimayan and Nagarajan stepped out of a public toilet, Pandi and others started attacking the duo with ‘aruvals’.
The two tried to run away, but fell on the ground within a short distance.
“The two sustained multiple injuries, and died instantly,” a police officer told reporters at the spot.
The Sellur Police have registered a case and are on the lookout for four suspects. Special teams have been formed.
The deceased were construction workers and used to play carom in the open space with their friends.
A few shopkeepers in the locality claimed that carom game was turning into a big gambling in the area and quarrels erupted often over the game.
“The police were aware of a few incidents in the past as we had alerted the control room,” Subbiah, a grocer in the area, said.
A few months back, a DMK functionary’s driver was hacked to death by an armed gang near Arapalayam by some persons due to some misunderstanding over a game, a police officer in Karimedu said.
