CHENNAI: A drunk man driving a car fatally knocked down his friend for repeatedly asking him to repay the loan he had taken. Police arrested the accused, Sivaraj (38), who is employed as a mortuary van driver at the Chengalpattu Government Hospital.
According to sources, the deceased, Sarath Babu (35), was a resident of Mangalam village near Madurantakam. He was employed as a contractor with Tangedco. Two years ago, Sivaraja allegedly borrowed Rs 4 lakh from Babu. Frequent arguments broke out between the friends as Babu often kept telling Sivaraj to repay the loan.
On Tuesday evening, Babu was sitting on the pavement outside his house and chatting with his friends when Sivaraj, in an inebriated state, was returning home in his car. Sivaraj allegedly knocked down Babu and then crashed into a tree, police said.
Babu’s friends rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead. Police sent the body for postmortem. Sivaraj was arrested and sent to judicial remand on Wednesday.