A gangster implicated in around 40 criminal cases including murder, was hacked to death by a six-member group in Vyasarpadi, in the early hours on Saturday.
According to police, around 12.15 a.m., K. Kamesh (27), was on his way home to Sathyamurthy Nagar in Vysarpadi, when an armed gang led by S. ‘Bokka’ Ravi Kumar (27) attacked him. Kamesh suffered serious head and chest injuries, and died on the spot. The gang then drove away on motorcycles.
The body, when found, was sent by police to the Government Stanley Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
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A case of murder was filed by Vyasarpadi police.
Police officers later arrested ‘Bokka’ Ravi Kumar the main accused, a resident of Nehru Nagar; H. Karthikeyan (25), a resident of MKB Nagar; K. Dhanushu (23), a resident of JJ Nagar; K. Yuvaraj (24), a resident of SM Nagar and K. Vigneshwaran alias Vicky (23), also resident of SM Nagar, while the sixth accused is still absconding.
“The murder was committed due to personal enmity. The victim was a serious offender,” said Govi. Manoharan, assistant commissioner of police, MKB Nagar.
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Police said Kamesh had been involved in various criminal offences ranging from chain snatching to kidnapping, extortion and even murder in several localities such as MKB Nagar, Pulianthope, Tondiarpet, Tiruvottiyur, Old Washermenpet and Sembium.
Three years ago, Kamesh allegedly hacked to death ‘Bokka’ Ravi’s friend, S. Kalaiarasan, over a dispute on a petty matter. Kalaiarasan had also been a resident of Sathyamurthy Nagar where Kamesh resided. Subsequently, Kamesh had been lodged in Salem prison.
Police said that Kamesh’s murder by ‘Bokka’ Ravi, was to avenge his friend’s death. “Kamesh had been out of prison since December, and the gang had been waiting for an opportunity to take revenge,” added a police officer.
Saturday’s incident is the second such in less than a week in north Chennai, where personal enmity continues to be a major factor in gang-related murders.
On January 1, a 25-year-old history-sheeter was killed in an open plot in Basin Bridge, when he was celebrating New Year’s with his friends. Again, the murder was committed to avenge an earlier personal enmity, police said.