CHENNAI: A 19-year-old youth was stabbed to death by a group of men in front of his mother, brother and friends at the Besant Nagar beach on Saturday night when they had come to witness the chariot procession at the Velankanni Church festival.
The deceased M Benny Raj of Shenoy Nagar in Aminjikarai was in the profession of playing percussion instrument in death processions.
“Around 11.30 pm Benny Raj, his mother Amal, brother and two friends were sitting behind the Karl Schmidt Memorial at the Elliot’s Beach. Benny had gone to play in the amusement rounds set up for the church festival. When he was returning to his family members, around seven youngsters got into an argument with him even as there were people sleeping around them after the chariot festival,” said a police officer.
Suddenly, one of them took out a knife and stabbed Benny Raj in his face, chest and abdomen several times in front of his family members and fled the spot. His mother, alarmed at seeing his son murdered, cried for help.
Benny Raj was rushed to the Government Royapettah Hospital where doctors declared him as brought dead and his body was sent to the mortuary.
The Shastri Nagar police have registered a case and begun investigation. Preliminary inquiries revealed that some youngsters from Kannagi Nagar had murdered Benny Raj and one of the suspects had been detained for interrogation.
Police said there was some alleged enmity in selling ganja in the area, which could have led to the murder of the teenager.