CHENNAI: Southern Railway OBC Employees Welfare Association (AIOBC) general secretary J K Puthiyavan was allegedly hacked to death by his former driver and his associate at his house at Chennai Battai Salai in Villivakkam on Friday.
Police said that driver Baskar (32) and his friend Anand (35) surrendered before the police and confessed to the crime later in the evening.
Police said Baskar had been angry with Puthiyavan, who had not kept his promise to get Baskar’s brother a government job after obtaining `3.5 lakh in three instalments.
“However, Baskar on several occasion asked Puthiyavan to return money, but instead the latter threatened to lodge a complaint against Baskar. On Friday, Baskar came to collect the money and when Puthiyavan refused to repay, he hacked him to death,” said a senior police officer.
Police said Puthiyavan was alone at his house and was getting ready for office situated two streets away, when the two came on a motorcycle and picked a fight with him. “Baskaran and Puthiyavan were fighting, and then the former attacked him with sickles,” said the investigation officer.
Hearing screams, neighbours rushed to the first floor of the two-storey building where the incident happened. By then, the men threw chilli powder in the house and fled with a CCTV camera in the vicinity.
Puthiyavan was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to injures and the body was sent to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.
“It was around 9 am. So the roads were busy. Suddenly, we heard screams and ran towards the house, when I spotted the men running towards their motorcycle and escaping. First, we did not know they had attacked Puthiyavan. It was only after we went to the house that we found him with injuries on his head,” said a mechanic, who was at the garage in the same street.
Puthiyavan had rented his house on the ground floor to a family, who also heard screams but decided not to venture to the first floor. They, however, alerted the public, who rushed to rescue Puthiyavan.
Tension prevailed in the area, soon after the news of the murder spread. The victim’s children- Akashya and Anushya - had gone to school and his wife Ranjitha Mary, who also works in Integral Coach Factory, had gone to office. The men were remanded in judicial custody by a magistrate court.