CHENNAI: The Thirumangalam police on Wednesday arrested three youths, including the grandson of a DMK councillor, in connection with the murder of college student Nithin Sai, who was killed after a car deliberately hit the two-wheeler he was riding pillion.
The accused are S Chandru alias Chandrasekar (19) of KK Nagar, V Yashwin (18) of KK Nagar and J Aaron Sam (21) of Puzhal.
Chandru is the grandson of K Dhana Sekaran, a DMK councillor and chairman of the standing committee (accounts) of the Greater Chennai Corporation, the police said. The SUV involved in the incident was brought by Chandru.
Nithin Sai, a third-year college student, was riding pillion with his friend Abhishek when the car hit them near a private school in Thirumangalam on Monday night.
Nithin died on the spot while Abhishek sustained injuries. CCTV footage later revealed that the collision was intentional, following a dispute earlier that evening.
According to police, the trio had earlier threatened one of Nithin’s friends, Venkatesh. The conflict began when a female college student receiving “romantic messages” from Venkatesh on social media. She confided in her friend Pranav, who then approached Chandru, who is a second-year BA Economics student at the college, for help. Chandru allegedly confronted Venkatesh and warned him to stop contacting the woman.
Later, the trio followed Venkatesh and his friends Nithin and Abhishek after a birthday party before ramming the two-wheeler.
Chandru is a student at Loyola College, Aaron is pursuing third-year BBA at ACS College, and Yashwin is in his second year at SRM College in Ramapuram.
The case, initially registered as a road accident, was altered to murder following protests by Nithin’s family outside Kilpauk GH on Tuesday. All three have been booked under sections 103(1), 296(b), 109(1), 351(3) of BNS and sent to jail.