A 27-year-old man was hacked to death during a scuffle on Pump House Street in J.J. Nagar in Korrukupet around 9.15 p.m. on Wednesday. Three of the dead man’s neighbours — M. Gopi (29), E. Inbakanni (45) and M. Sivagangai (40) — were battling for life at Government Stanley Hospital. Sivagangai is the mother of Gopi and sister of Inbakanni.
Police said that the victim, K. Suresh (27), an autorickshaw driver and polio patient, came to his relative’s house in J.J. Nagar along with his wife and son on Wednesday evening. Suresh had moved to Tiruvottiyur from J.J. Nagar six years ago after some trouble in the neighbourhood.
Two years ago, he married S. Meena, a resident of J.J. Nagar. On Wednesday, the couple, along with their eight-month-old son, came to Meena’s parents’ house to attend a function. After dinner, Suresh went to the house of Gopi. The two used to be friends but had fallen out.
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When Gopi heard that Suresh had come to meet him, he was angry and came out to attack him with a sickle. Suresh’s relatives, who got to know of the incident, attacked Gopi, his mother and her elder sister. Gopi, a construction worker, had just returned home.
Sivagangai and her elder sister Inbakanni tried to dissuade the gang but a scuffle ensued nonetheless. Suresh died on the spot while Sivagangai and Inbakanni escaped with injuries on their hands and legs while Gopi was injured on his head, hands, legs and stomach. A case of murder under section 302 of IPC has been filed by the R.K. Nagar police in north Chennai.