The city police on Tuesday arrested five suspects in connection with the murder of a former gangster ‘Theechatti’ Murugan who was hacked to death by another gang on Monday. The murder is suspected to be an act of revenge by the relatives and friends of another gangster Jayaraj who was murdered by Murugan in 2013.
Murugan (39) was sitting in a grocery shop in T.P. Chatram when a motorcycle-borne gang came to the spot and attacked him with long knives.
Murugan was a native of Gingee and his family had settled in the city when he was young. He was working along with Jayaraj and was involved in crimes such as murder and assault.
Murugan was implicated in several cases including murder for gain cases in 2003, 2009 and 2013. He was also wanted in 10 cases and was arrested thrice under the Goondas Act. He was released from prison in 2014.
Following differences with Jayaraj, Murugan distanced himself from him and plotted his murder. As per police records, Murugan allegedly killed Jayaraj in 2013. Later, Murugan kept a low profile and started a small business.
Relatives and friends of Jayaraj had been plotting against Jayaraj for long to kill Murugan. When they found him sitting alone in the grocery shop, the gang attacked and murdered him. They also attacked Narayanan (50), the owner of shop. Murugan died on the spot while Narayanan was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he continues to be under treatment.
T.P.Chatram police arrested five suspects — Martin, Rajesh alias Rajesh Khanna, Gopi, Akash and Rohit — belonging to the same area. The police are searching for a few more suspects in connection with the murder.
