A 34-year-old history-sheeter, ‘Boxer’ Murali, was murdered inside the Puzhal prison on Wednesday morning. The police suspect that members of a rival gang could be behind the crime.
According to the police, Murali, a resident of Samanthipoo Colony, Vyasarpadi, was an ‘A’ category rowdy. He has over 16 cases against him, including three murder cases, five attempt-to-murder cases and six robbery cases.
In May, he was arrested and booked under the Goondas Act in connection with a robbery. His name also figured in the murder of Indira, an illicit arrack dealer in M.K.B. Nagar, in 2005. He was housed in prison 1 of the Puzhal prison complex. On Wednesday, around 9 a.m, he was in the bathroom when five persons surrounded and attacked him with a sharp object on the neck, the police said. They suspect that a folded metal plate or a knife from the kitchen was used to commit the murder.
Judicial probe soon
Hearing his screams, prison staff rushed to his side and took him to the hospital on the premises and then tried to shift him to the Government Stanley Hospital. However, he died on the way.
A judicial inquiry will be ordered against five persons — Saranraj, Karthik, Joel, Pradeep and Ramesh — all members of the Nagendran gang, in connection with the murder, said a senior police officer. Sources said that those arrested under the Goondas Act were earlier housed in prison 2 along with other remand prisoners.
However, last month, around 350 persons booked under the Act were shifted to prison 1 along with convicts.
Murali is an associate of ‘Bokkai’ Ravi from the Kakathoppu Balaji gang. “This gang and that of Nagendran are infamous in Vyasarpadi area and are rivals,” said a police officer. “Nagendran, who is in a hospital now, will be soon taken to Puzhal prison 1 once he is discharged. His gang may have feared that Murali may kill Nagendran in jail and hence the murder. Another reason for the murder could be personal enmity between Saranraj and the deceased. The exact reason will be known after investigation,” the police officer added.
