Chennai: Criminal hacked to death by rival gang

Chennai: In what could be seen as a gang-war, a criminal was hacked to death in broad daylight near Chennai Central Railway Station while moments after he had made an appearance in the court. The deceased, Premkumar (40) who is an history sheeter himself, was outside the Ripon building when he was brutally murdered on the streets while some commuters watched in horror. The victim with a criminal past had appeared before the court for a hearing in  a case from 2019, that was registered in the Basin Bridge area.

Premkumar who is a history sheeter himself was arrested for a murder that took place in 2022, when a rowdy named Settu was murdered near the Gandhi nagar bus stop in Puliyanthope high road. Premkumar was arrested in connection to the murder probe and was recently out of prison on bail.

How things unfolded on the streets of Chennai

The heinous crime unfolded as the victim, accompanied by his close associates Vasantha Kumar and Naresh, was ambushed after leaving a court hearing in central Chennai. The trio, having visited a bar and become intoxicated, were pursued by a six-member gang that had been shadowing them since the court premises.

Seizing the opportunity when the victims were inebriated, the gang swiftly attacked Premkumar and his aides. Tragically, two others attempting to intervene also fell victim to the brutal assault. The injured relatives were promptly admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital for medical treatment.

The Periyamedu Police, responding swiftly to the scene, recovered Premkumar's body and arranged for a post-mortem examination at the same hospital. A case was registered, and an investigation was launched. The police reviewed CCTV footage from the streets and successfully identifying the perpetrators. It was revealed that the motive behind the gruesome act was a long-standing feud between two rival gangs, escalating to a revenge killing.

The two factions had been engaged in a bitter conflict spanning over a decade.

On Wednesday, authorities apprehended all six individuals involved in the murder. Subsequent to the arrests, the police disclosed that the vendetta was linked to the killing of Puliyanthope Karthik almost 10 years ago.