A 38-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death in full public view by a four-member gang at an eatery on Melony Road, T.Nagar, here on Friday. Police suspect a rivalry between the victim and a few others in his locality led to the killing.
Police identified the victim as K. Chelladurai alias Durai, a resident of Dr. Thomas Road in T.Nagar. Durai was a cable TV sub-operator in the area and had floated a political party a few months ago. He left the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) after he was denied a ticket to contest for post of councillor in the local body elections. However, he contested the election as an Independent candidate for the 117th ward and lost.
At 2.45 p.m. on Friday, the gang armed with lethal weapons barged into Karthikeyan Mess on Melony Road where Durai was having lunch. “They attacked him with sickles and fled the scene. The victim suffered severe cuts on his head, neck and hands and died on the spot,” said Chandru, who works at the eatery.
Police teams, including Joint Commissioner (South) K.P. Shanmugarajeshwaran and Deputy Commissioner (T.Nagar) M. Ashok Kumar, reached the spot and carried out preliminary investigations.
The body was sent to Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem.
The victim's mother, Rakku (58), said Durai left the house at 2.30 p.m. after he repeatedly got calls on his mobile phone.
“Few minutes later, some neighbours told me that he got killed. Durai did not have any enemies, but occasionally quarrelled with some youngsters in our locality after they indulged in eve teasing,” she said.
Durai, who is the eldest of four brothers and three sisters, had made his thatched house on Dr. Thomas Road partly into his party office and lived in it with his partner Priya and her two teenaged children from her first marriage, locals said.
Panic spread in the area after the murder and all shop-keepers downed shutters. Police personnel were posted in large numbers. Mambalam police have registered a case of murder and special teams have been formed to apprehend the suspects.
