CHENNAI: A 22-year-old construction worker was hacked to death at Old Pallavaram on Wednesday night after being allegedly lured to the location by two women with whom he was said to have been in a relationship. The Pallavaram police have arrested the two women and a 17-year-old boy in connection with the case. Police said the women had initially tried to stage the murder as a robbery attempt.
According to Pallavaram police, the deceased, identified as A Selvakumar of Thirusulam, had been in a relationship with Reena (24), a married woman from Old Pallavaram, for the past few months. Later, he began a relationship with Reena’s friend Ratchitha (25), an unmarried woman from Old Pallavaram, simultaneously.
Sources said Selvakumar frequently consumed alcohol, sexually harassed the two women, and often got into arguments with them. He also warned them against speaking to other men. Frustrated by this behaviour, the two women decided to kill him, and discussed the plan with some acquaintances, including the juvenile, and finalised the plot, police said.
On Wednesday night, Reena called Selvakumar and asked him to come to Subham Nagar in Old Pallavaram for a chat. After Selvakumar arrived, Ratchitha joined them. While the three were talking, a group of unidentified men surrounded Selvakumar and attacked him with knives and sickles. As he attempted to escape, the gang chased and hacked him to death before fleeing the spot, police added.
“Both Reena and Ratchitha tried to stage it as an attempted robbery and themselves alerted the passersby, who informed the police. The police came to the spot and rushed Selvakumar to a government hospital. However, he died without responding to treatment on Thursday,” a police source said.
Subsequent inquiries and technical analysis revealed the women’s role in the murder. Police arrested Reena, Ratchitha and one of their accomplice, the minor boy. After inquiry, the women were sent to judicial remand, and the boy was sent to an observation home. Further probe is under way to trace the others involved in the case.